Greek Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias said that the Chinese market is extremely important for Greece's tourism and that the return of Chinese tourists will bring positive effects to the tourism sector of Greece.
In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, Kikilias pointed out that both Greece and China have long-standing civilizations and histories, and that the Chinese people show great interest in the culture and civilization of Greece.
Tourism is one of the backbone industries of the Greek economy. Tourism revenue accounts for about a quarter of Greece's gross domestic product. In accordance with the “joint action plan” signed between China and Greece in March 2022, the two sides will continue their communication and cooperation in international and multilateral frameworks in areas such as tourism promotion, education and investment.
Expressing that they are actively making preparations to host Chinese tourists, Kikilias said, “While China is constantly optimizing its epidemic measures, it regularly normalizes the overseas travels of its citizens. These arrangements will accelerate the two countries' better implementation of the joint action plan. Giving great value to the Chinese market, Greece expects more cooperation between the two countries in areas such as tourism, culture, sports and trade.