The curtain fell on Infacoma & Aquatherm Athens 2018 with 24,500 trade visitors from 18 countries, 630 business meetings between Greek exhibitors and representatives from nine countries, as well as 230 exhibitors, thus exceeding all targets that had been set.

For the second consecutive year the sectors of construction, renovation, heating, energy conservation, pools and spas for homes, professional spaces and hotel units, etc., were the focus of attention via two exhibitions, which met the high standards of the participants and thousands of trade visitors who attended the events at Mediterranean Exhibition Centre in Peania from 9 to 12 February, thus confirming the dynamic commercial character of the exhibition duo.

Infacoma & Aquatherm Athens 2018 highlighted in the best possible way the most important trends surrounding renovation and construction, green buildings, cutting edge products and the solutions they provide, as well as affordable applications, proper energy and water resource management and other energy upgrade possibilities in a variety of structures etc. The pool sector was very well represented. However there were also side events which provided their own separate and specialised interest, such as informational day meetings organised by the National Federation of Glass Handling and Glazing Merchants and Craftsmen of Greece, regarding the sector’s most recent technological innovations.

The significant exhibition duo, which was co-organised by TIF-Helexpo and ‘Be Best’, extends an invitation to the entire sector for

next year’s event, keeping the satisfaction of exhibitors and the high numbers of trade visitors as part of its legacy.

20/02/2018 – 10:52

The international “exhibition duo” Infacoma-Aquatherm Athens 2018 is ready to throw open its gates. It is the greatest event in building, construction, renovation, insulation, heating, air conditioning, energy and water technologies. Infacoma and Aquatherm will be held from 9 to 12 February in an exhibition space covering an area of 12,000 square metres at the Paiania MEC, organised by TIF-Helexpo and Be Best.

The renowned “exhibition duo” that was held last year for the first time in Attica and which met with great success, is returning this year, larger and with a significantly increased number of participations that have reached 220 (direct and indirect exhibitors).

Aquatherm is a world renowned exhibition brand of Reed Exhibitions, with an exclusive presence in the Balkans and Turkey, while Infacoma has been an established exhibition for the sector in Greece and internationally for the last 34 years. These factors strengthen the international character of the two exhibitions.

Visitors will have the opportunity to be informed as regards the new products and techniques in the sectors of construction, renovation, heating, insulation materials and window & door frames, air conditioning, water management, energy conservation, swimming pools and spas for homes, professional spaces and hotel units. Trends surrounding renovation and construction, green buildings, cutting edge products and the solutions they provide, as well as affordable applications, proper energy and water resource

management and other energy upgrade possibilities in a variety of structures, will be the highlights of the two exhibitions.

The largest companies in aluminium product and window & door frame manufacturing, as well as in glass handling and glazing will be in attendance, among others.

Special focus has been placed on the sector of swimming pool, spa and sauna equipment and facility construction. Infacoma-Aquatherm Athens 2018 are also standing alongside the tourism market and have invited hotel complex, medium hotel and rented apartment, and smaller accommodation owners from all of Greece to visit the exhibitions and be updated in full regarding the latest and most innovative construction and design trends, the most technologically advanced applications and the most effective and affordable ways to save energy in their units. Informational seminars and day meetings will be held in the framework of the two exhibitions.

To accommodate our visitors, there is free transportation to and from Paiania MEC by event shuttle bus from ‘Doukissis Plakentias’ Metro station and ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ airport. Specifically, throughout the duration of the exhibitions visitors can travel to and from ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ airport every 60 minutes, and to and from ‘Doukissis Plakentias’ station every 30 minutes.

The exhibition working hours are the following: Friday9/2 16:00-21:00, Saturday and Sunday (10/2 and 11/2) 10:00-21:00 and Monday 12/2 10:00-20:00.

12/02/2018 – 12:09

The 27th Agrotica, which welcomed 143,754 visitors during its four days of operation, a 16.2% increase over the 2016 event, exceeded every expectation. Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre of Thessaloniki was innundated with visitors who started arriving early in the morning and continued to do so until late in the evening, in order to explore the Agrotica stands and learn about the latest developments in the field. It should be noted that at this year’s event there was a 100% increase in the number of hosted buyers over the 2016 event, which proved that Agrotica has become more international. In fact, exhibitor satisfaction was at especially high levels, as everyone agreed that the quality of the exhibition had improved substantially.

This flood of people increased even more so over the weekend, with impressive numbers both on the grounds of Agrotica as well as in the area surrounding the International Exhibition Centre.

The side events also attracted a lot of interest, with the 7th Agrotica Pan-Hellenic Conference on ‘Innovative Approaches to Production and Growth in Greek Agriculture’ being the “star of the show”, held over the weekend, organised by TIF-HELEXPO and the Faculty of Agriculture of AUTh.

The 27th Agrotica was the largest to date. It covered an area of 29,000 square metres of indoor exhibition facilities, an increase of 15% over the previous event, while there were 1950 direct and indirect exhibitors from 45 countries, as compared to 1503 in 2016 and 1349 in 2015. Businesses from the entire spectrum of agricultural production and technology from the whole of Greece participated in this year’s event, along with leaders in trade and

commerce of agricultural supplies and machinery, as well as all tractor dealerships.

The 27th Agrotica welcomed numerous trade delegations from the Balkans and Southeastern Europe, as well approximately 500 hosted buyers from 20 countries in the Balkans, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

This year’s event was supported by the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer’s Association (EKAGEM) and the Machinery Importer Representatives’ Association, and was held under the auspices of the Ministries of Agriculture & Food and the Interior (Macedonia-Thrace).

TIF-HELEXPO looks forward to its next meeting with the agricultural sector in 2019 with Zootechnia (31/1-3/2) in Thessaloniki and Agrothessaly (28/2-3/3) in Larissa

12/02/2018 – 11:55

This year’s Agrotica, which opens on 1 February and will last until 4 February, seems to be turning into a record-breaking fair. The fair is a truly sold-out event, as the entirety of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre is being utilised for its needs. It is indicative that the 27th Agrotica will cover a total of more than 39,000 sq.m. of indoor exhibition facilities, which is a 15% increase in relation to the previous event, a unique success. There will be 1950 exhibitors from 45 countries (direct and indirect), in contrast to 1503 exhibitors in 2016 and 1349 in 2014. As was announced in today’s Press Conference in view of the opening of the fair, never before, since 1985 when Agrotica began, have such numbers been achieved. This fact makes this year’s event the greatest in its history, while also setting new records as an exhibition on a trade fair level for TIF-Helexpo.

The 27th Agrotica presents the innovation and future of agricultural production, as well as the effort for agriculture to function as a key driver both for the growth of the Greek economy, as well as for Greece’s rural areas. In fact, there are companies present from the entire range of agricultural production and technology, from all over the country, while participants also include the largest commerce and sale of supplies and agricultural machinery companies, with the presence of all major tractor brand representatives. Attending are also a number of associations, organisations and bodies, among which – apart from the relevant Ministry of Rural Development & Food – are the Association of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery (EKAGEM) and the Machinery Importers’-Representatives’ Association (SEAM), which are supporters of the fair.

Tens of thousands of visitors from all over Greece and abroad will cross Agrotica’s “threshold” this year, while numerous group delegations are expected from the Balkans and Southeastern Europe. Approximately 500 hosted buyers from 20 Balkan, European, Asian and Middle Eastern countries will also be attending. They include hosted buyer groups that will attend Agrotica en masse. Large organised groups of delegates will make up the many thousands of visitors expected from all over Greece, as significant interest was expressed in the fair from agricultural cooperatives, groups of producers, etc.

There is also a rich schedule of side events. One of the stars of the show will be the 7th Agrotica Pan-Hellenic Conference on: ‘Innovative approaches to the production and growth of Greek agriculture’, which is jointly organised by TIF-Helexpo and the Faculty of Agriculture of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Also, TIF-Helexpo and the Institute of Bio-Economy and Agri-Technology (iBO) / National Centre for Research and Technology (CERTH) are co-organising an event titled: ‘From conventional to “smart” agriculture through the use of robotics technologies’. There will also be a Test Drive of a commercial agricultural vehicle on a specially designed course.

Agrotica, a celebration of the agricultural world

TIF-Helexpo’s great responsibility in supporting Agrotica – so that it may continue to play its important role in agricultural economy – was underlined by the President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Tasos Tzikas, who referred to its constantly increasing size. He also invited the agricultural world to embrace and respect the event, which, as he said, is its celebration, too.

TIF-Helexpo CEO Mr Kyriakos Pozrikidis made mention of complete coverage of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre, noting that even the ‘I. Vellidis’ Conference Centre has been turned into an exhibition space. In fact, he stressed that Agrotica is now a member of the powerful players’ club of Europe’s agricultural sector.

In turn, the new President of the Association of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery, Mrs Dimitra Emmanouilidou, stressed that during Agrotica’s 4-day duration, visitors can carry out thorough market research of the agricultural sector, while she raised the matter of increasing the duration of the fair by one day. She also underlined that this year the event coincides with the submission of applications for the new plans for the improvement of the agricultural development programme, and thus farmers will have the opportunity to be informed on this via Agrotica.

The Machinery Importers’-Manufacturers’ Association is participating in this year’s event with 39 members and 13,000 sq.m., as was announced by its President, Mr Savvas Balouktsis. He also noted that Agrotica has always been a forum of expression for the sector’s problems, while he referred to how old the fleet of agricultural machinery is in Greece, as well as the collapse of the tractor market, which in 2017 recorded just 839 sales.

Many companies in the agricultural sector were left out of Agrotica due to the high demand that exhausted all available exhibition space, according to the event’s organiser, Mr Vassilis Spyrou. He also underlined that this year there was significant interest from companies that work in precision agriculture and the application of modern methods in agriculture.

The operational needs of this year’s Agrotica are very demanding according to Deputy General Director of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Alexis Tsaxirlis, who estimated that 100,000 will pass through the fair’s gates in four days.

The 27th Agrotica is being carried out under the auspices of the Ministries of Rural Development & Food and the Interior (Macedonia-Thrace). It should be noted that the southern entrance of the exhibition centre is being moved to the ‘I.Vellidis’ Conference Centre for the needs of the fair. Visitors can enter there (instead of the YMCA Arch entrance)

31/01/2018 – 10:59

The 27th Agrotica boasts a 30% increase in exhibition participations, thousands of buyers from Greece, the Balkans and Europe, who will cross its “threshold”, and a rich programme of side events, congresses and colloquiums. It is being held from 1 to 4 February at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre.

There is no precedent to the number and quality of this year’s participations, which have resulted in every inch of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre being occupied. This year’s Agrotica covers a total area of 39,000 square metres of exhibition facilities (a 15% increase in relation to the previous event) and there are 1950 exhibitors (direct and indirect) from 45 countries.

Numerous group delegations are expected from the Balkans and South-eastern Europe, as well as from European countries. The exhibition will be visited by approximately 400 hosted buyers from 20 Balkan and European countries. Large organised groups of delegates will make up the many thousands of visitors expected from all over Greece, as significant interest was expressed in Agrotica from Agricultural Cooperatives, groups of producers, etc. The 7th Agrotica Pan-Hellenic Conference will be held in the framework of the side events, which will feature scientists, entrepreneurs, technocrats, academics, agronomists and many others who will highlight all the critical issues facing agriculture.

The Conference titled ‘Innovative approaches to the production and growth of Greek agriculture’ is being jointly organised by TIF-Helexpo and the Faculty of Agriculture of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Also, TIF-Helexpo and the Institute of Bio-Economy and Agri-Technology (iBO) / National Centre for Research and Technology (CERTH) are co-organising an event titled: ‘From conventional to “smart” agriculture through the use of robotics technologies’.

There will also be a Test Drive of a commercial agricultural vehicle on a specially designed course. The agricultural vehicles that will be at Agrotica are the MERCEDES X CLASS (first presentation of Mercedes’ new agricultural vehicle in Greece), MITSUBISHI L200, ISUZU D MAX and FIAT FULL BACK, as well as a wide range of commercial Vans and LCVs. Lastly, the Agricultural Association of Athens Flower Producers – ATHENS CENTRAL FLOWER MARKET (ΑΑSΑ-ΚΑΑ) in cooperation with the Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese (Department of Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture) present in pavilion 2 the potential for entrepreneurial action in the sector of Floriculture and Floral Arrangement in Greece, and Greece’s present flower production dynamic, which is mainly located in Ierapetra, Hersonisos, Marathon, Troezen, Menidi, Megara and other regions.

29/01/2018 – 17:13

Greece can become a destination and entry gate for Asian travellers, provided it works in a continuous, consistent and methodical manner over the next 3 to 5 years. This was the main conclusion of the International Tourism Conference of the 33rd Philoxenia titled ‘Asian Tourism: Greece as a Destination and as a European Gate’. The Asian markets and, in particular, the Chinese market present the highest growth rates in terms of outgoing tourism, both at the level of travellers and, more importantly, at the level of travel expenses.

China already holds first place among the countries with the highest travel expenses, amounting, according to World Tourism Organisation data for 2016, to USD 261 billion, much higher than the USA at second place with USD 124 billion and Germany in third place with USD 81 billion.

Europe welcomes approximately 12% of Asian tourists travelling abroad, while Greece is a destination for a very small number of Asian tourists, which is disproportionate to its popularity in Asia and particularly China. Our country, as an important part of both the Maritime Silk Road and the Western Silk Road, in the context of the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative of the Chinese government, is in a good starting place to penetrate the Asian markets – and the Chinese market, in particular.

The first step has already taken place at the political level, following recent contacts between the two governments; what must immediately follow is a systematic approach to the Asian market, starting with China, which is expected to send over 25 million tourists to Europe over the next 5 years, who will spend approximately USD 35 billion.

The next steps and necessary requirements are the facilitation of access to visas and the increase in air connections between Greece and Asia. The recent commencement of the direct connection between Beijing and Athens by Air China, the announcement of Qatar Airways for the connection between Doha and Thessaloniki in 2018, as well as the plans of Athens International Airport to increase the number of connections to Asia are supporting the penetration effort, which must also benefit from the declaration of 2018 as the EU-China Year of Tourism.The benefits of this initiative for Greece will be maximised through a public-private partnership.

This partnership must aim at the creation of a marketing plan that will include specific geographical and product areas that will be the result of research, in cooperation with Chinese companies that are familiar with the market. In any event, considering the size of this market, the endeavour must remain continuous, consistent and methodical, and positive results may appear even within three years.

16/11/2017 – 15:15

With an international character and featuring 300 artists from 30 galleries, representing 10 countries, the 2nd Art Thessaloniki Fair will welcome visitors at Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre from 23 to 26 November 2017.

Following last year’s successful 1st Art Thessaloniki Fair and the vote of confidence of over 12,000 visitors from 22 countries, the 2nd Art Thessaloniki Fair housed in Pavilions 8, 9 and 10 is raising the bar even higher, hosting 6 museum exhibitions among its many events.

The Fair is being organised by TIF-Helexpo and the artistic director of Art Thessaloniki Fair, Mr Pantelis Tsatsis.

The programme of side events at the 2nd Art Thessaloniki Fair includes:

• Honoured Artists: Costas Tsoklis from Greece and Wolf Vostell from Germany, curated by Sania Papa. 
• The museum exhibitions of Theodoros Stamos (Zacharias Portolakis collection), curated by Manos Stefanidis. 
• Balance Exercises: Planning and concretization. The inevitable indeterminacy or, the readjustment of origin, curated by Emmanuel Mavrommatis, Emeritus Professor of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. 
• International Contemporary Engraving, from the collection of Giorgos Kitis, curated by Sania Papa. 
• The exhibition-tribute to Stavros Ioannou (Giorgos Kostopoulos collection), curated by Manos Stefanidis. 
• In the context of the Greek – Chinese project, a joint painting exhibition by Demosthenes Davvetas from Greece and Liang Yi form China, on the dialogue between Hellenism and Buddhism, will take place at the Open Art Lab. 
• The participation of the Industrial Design Workshop of the School of Visual & Applied Arts of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, curated by Assistant Professor Giorgos Liamadis. 
• The tributes to Yiannis Fokas and Michalis Manoussakis, Professors at the School of Fine Arts. 
• The Virtual Reality Project.

The 2nd Art Thessaloniki International Contemporary Art Fair is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior (Macedonia-Thrace), the Region of Central Macedonia, the City of Thessaloniki and numerous city agencies.

16/11/2017 – 15:25

The Philoxenia-Hotelia tourism exhibition ‘duo’ once again won the sector’s vote of confidence, as it welcomed 20,000 visitors. In fact, this year’s dual event marked a change in the make-up of visitors, with a substantial increase in the number of both professionals from Greece and abroad.

The tourism industry trusted Philoxenia and Hotelia for its promotion and contacts, while the entirety of the Greek tourism sector, through the 13 Regions and numerous Municipalities from throughout the country, was dynamically present at the top Greek tourism fair.

There was great interest in the Philoxenia International Tourism Conference titled ‘Asian Tourism. Greece as a Destination and as a European Gate’, where top Greek and international speakers elaborated on the potential of Asian tourism flows for our country. The conference was attended by over 300 participants.

At the same time, the thematic exhibitions of Hotelia wowed the public, with visitors flocking to both DPOINT SPACES, where the SPA concept and the LOBBY concept were presented, and All About Café of Hotelia, where about 3,000 individuals attended specialised coffee seminars, as well as All About Gastronomy.

At the same time, the thematic exhibitions of Hotelia wowed the public, with visitors flocking to both DPOINT SPACES, where the SPA concept and the LOBBY concept were presented, and All About Café of Hotelia, where about 3,000 individuals attended specialised coffee seminars, as well as All About Gastronomy.

Visitors were also highly interested in Green Zero Hotel ‘Reloaded’, the first modular ecological bungalow.

There were 400 exhibitors (both direct and indirect) from 18 countries at Philoxenia, and 200 (direct and indirect) at Hotelia. There was intense international participation in Philoxenia and Hotelia, with direct participation from countries such as Turkey – İzmir and Şarköy attended independently for the first time – Cyprus, Egypt, Austria, Russia, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Peru, the Philippines and Indonesia. Furthermore, approximately 180 international individual hosted buyers attended the tourism exhibition ‘duo’, while another 125 participated as a group delegation from Bulgaria, Albania and FYROM.

The Fairs were held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Interior (Macedonia-Thrace), the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) and major tourism agencies (SETE, HATTA, POX and XEE), and again “flew” with Qatar Airways, the official air carrier of the events.

The hosted buyers’ meals were sponsored by Grand Hotel Palace and Philoxenia Thessbrunch, in which the Hyatt and Porto Palace hotels participated, while the hosted buyers’ transport was sponsored by Zorpidis Travel Services. It is noted that Philoxenia Thessbrunch was held in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Hotels Association and Thessaloniki Food Festival.

TIF-Helexpo will focus on tourism once more at the Greek Travel Show, to be held in Athens from 4 to 6 May 2018, and will renew its ‘appointment’ with Philoxenia and Hotelia for November 2018.

15/11/2017 – 11:11

Bolstered by the dynamism of Greek tourism, which is reflected in the scale of Philoxenia and Hotelia, the renowned tourism exhibition ‘duo’, which will host a total of 600 exhibitors, will begin on Friday, 10 November and last until 12 November. For three days, the two exhibitions, which will be held at Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre, will welcome the entire tourism sector, all Greek tourism destinations and major tourism ‘players’ from abroad.

More specifically, the entire Greek tourism sector is being represented at the 33rd Philoxenia, a landmark for the field, as all 13 Regions of the country and numerous tourism-heavy Municipalities are participating this year. There will be 400 exhibitors (both direct and indirect) from 18 countries at Philoxenia, and 200 (direct and indirect) at Hotelia. There is intense international participation in Philoxenia and Hotelia, with direct participation from countries such as Turkey – İzmir and Şarköy are attending independently for the first time – Cyprus, Egypt, Austria, Russia, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Peru, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Furthermore, approximately 180 international individual hosted buyers have been invited to attend the tourism exhibition ‘duo’, while another 125 will be participating as a group delegation from Bulgaria, Albania and FYROM. In this context, over 4,000 meetings between exhibitors and major tour operators from 36 target-countries for the Greek market have been scheduled. This Philoxenia will also mark the return of shipping companies and the participation of more airlines, tourism agencies and major hotel chains. An important event held during Philoxenia is the international Philoxenia conference, which is titled ‘Asian Tourism. Greece as a Destination and as a European Gate’ this year, highlighting the new prospects for domestic tourism with the help of top Greek and international speakers (a link to the complete schedule and speakers of the conference can be found at: http://apps.helexpo.gr/inst/Newsletters/2017/Asian_Tourism_Conferen ce/2nd_EL/news.htm). The conference, to be held on Friday, 10 November, at ‘I. Vellidis’ Congress Centre, will cover three thematic sessions and one round table discussion with the following content:  Growth and trends in outbound Asian tourism, connectivity & Travel Facilitation, and approaching the Asian Traveler. The round table will focus on: ‘Is Greek tourism Asian-ready? The road ahead’. The organising consultant of the Conference is the tourism generis company..

Hotelia, in turn, is presenting the very latest in the fields of hotel, restaurant and café equipment. A point of inspiration for architects, decorators and hoteliers, DPOINT SPACES at Hotelia (jointly organised with Interiors from Greece) is the most innovative event on hotel architecture and decoration, featuring two different works by renowned architectural firms, covering a total area of 400 sq.m. More specifically, SPA concept (created by the architectural firm ASPASIA TAKA architects creative lab) presents modern architectural trends in & wellness and incorporates a workshop area where sector experts will hold seminars, under the supervision of the development, management and business consulting firm EF-ZIN “the art of living well”. Additionally, LOBBY concept (created by the architectural firm NOMEN ARCHITECTS) showcases the lobby area, both as a philosophy – principles of good hospitality – and as a functional element, a common meeting place for owners and guests, friends, associates, etc. Lastly, the All About Café of Hotelia is an original and innovation section dedicated to the art of preparing coffee, and will focus this year on the development of coffee culture in the present and hosting specialised seminars (All About Café seminars) under the supervision of Valantis Lambrianidis. The grand sponsor of All About Café is the SPECIALISTAS brand of the MEVGAL company.

This year, the All About Gastronomy section of Hotelia is focusing on Greek Breakfast & Brunch+ and Gastronomic Hospitality, placing emphasis on how to include gastronomy in the services offered by hotels. The All About Gastronomy section is overseen by the Chef Stories company. Finally, the Green Zero Hotel “Reloaded”, the first modular ecological bungalow, designed by the Makridis Associates Architects firm, can be found at Hotelia, at the outdoor area of Pavilion 10. 10% increase in participation The CEO of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Kyriakos Pozrikidis, characterised Philoxenia as the largest tourism exhibition in the Balkans, noting that this year marks a 10% increase in participation and adding that Hotelia has successfully retained its audience throughout recent years. In turn, the President of the Thessaloniki Hotels Association, Mr Andreas Mandrinos, stressed that Philoxenia is the top tourism event in our country and its dynamic growth in recent years is astounding.

In fact, he noted that the Association has been participating in every event without fail, and is looking forward to upgraded features this year. The President of the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, Mr Yiannis Aslanis, commented on the intense activity of the administration of TIF-Helexpo, bolstering the company’s fairs. He also referred to a major success for Thessaloniki, which was recently announced as the organiser of the 8th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism, to be held in the city in October 2018. The exhibition manager, Mrs Katerina Traptsioni, underlined the character of Philoxenia as a celebration, characterising it as one of the flagship – fairs of TIF-Helexpo. She stressed that an effort is made each year to improve the event in terms of both quality and quantity. In turn, the exhibition manager of Hotelia, Mrs Tonia Nikolaidou, noted that the two exhibitions are a powerful combination for the tourism sector and are helpful for visitors. The Fairs are being held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Interior (Macedonia-Thrace), the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) and major tourism agencies (SETE, HATTA, POX and XEE), and are once again “flying” with Qatar Airways, the official air carrier of the events.

The hosted buyers’ meals are sponsored by Grand Hotel Palace and Philoxenia Thessbrunch, in which the Hyatt and Porto Palace hotels are participating, while the hosted buyers’ transport is sponsored by Zorpidis Travel Services. It is noted that Philoxenia Thessbrunch is being held in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Hotels Association and Thessaloniki Food Festival.

10/11/2017 – 15:33

Philoxenia and Hotelia, once again serving as meeting points for the sector from 10 to 12 November at Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre, constitute landmark fairs for Greek tourism.

The country’s most important tourism exhibition ‘duo’ has recorded an increase in exhibition participations and boasts an upgraded image in both qualitative and quantitative terms, while the international Philoxenia conference, an institution in its own right, this year focuses on “Asian Tourism. Greece as a Destination and as a European Gate”, and showcases the new prospects for the country’s tourism product through top Greek and international speakers.

The Fairs are being held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) and major tourism agencies (SETE, HATTA, POX and XEE), and are once again “flying” with Qatar Airways, the official air carrier of the events.

The further internationalisation of both the Fairs and Greek tourism is at the heart of this year’s Philoxenia-Hotelia, international Conference and numerous side events.

The entire Greek tourism sector is being represented at the 33rd Philoxenia, as all 13 Regions of the country and numerous tourism-heavy Municipalities are participating.

There is increased international participation in Philoxenia and Hotelia, with direct participation from countries such as Turkey – İzmir and Şarköy are attending independently for the first time – Cyprus, Egypt, Austria, Russia, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Peru, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Hotelia, in turn, presents the latest trends in the areas of hotel, restaurant and café equipment. The Fair is addressed to hoteliers, architects, decorators, construction firms and professionals from the supply, café and tourism industry. The modern structure of Hotelia in terms of both organisation and

presentation aims to attract the interest of all the above professionals, serving as a link between them.

A point of inspiration for architects, decorators and hoteliers, DPOINT SPACES at Hotelia (jointly organised with Interiors from Greece) is the most innovative event on hotel architecture and decoration, featuring two different works by renowned architectural firms, covering a total area of 400 sq.m.

SPA concept (created by the architectural firm ASPASIA TAKA architects creative lab) presents modern architectural trends in & wellness and incorporates a workshop area where sector experts will hold seminars, under the supervision of the development, management and business consulting firm EF-ZIN ‘’the art of living well’’.

LOBBY concept (created by the architectural firm NOMEN ARCHITECTS) showcases the lobby area, both as a philosophy – principles of good hospitality – and as a functional element, a common meeting place for owners and guests, friends, associates, etc.

The All About Café of Hotelia is an original and innovation section dedicated to the art of preparing coffee, focusing on the development of coffee culture in the present and hosting specialised seminars under the supervision of Valantis Lambrianidis. The grand sponsor of All About Café is the SPECIALISTAS brand of the MEVGAL company.

This year, the All About Gastronomy section of Hotelia is focusing on Greek Breakfast & Brunch+ and Gastronomic Hospitality, placing emphasis on how to include gastronomy in the services offered by hotels. The All About Gastronomy section is overseen by the Chef Stories company.

Asian Tourism. Greece as a Destination and as a European Gate

The future of Greek tourism will be presented at the international Philoxenia conference titled ‘Asian Tourism. Greece as a Destination and as a European Gate’, a particularly timely event, given the strengthening of bonds between Greece and China and the latter’s recent sizeable participation in the 82nd TIF.

The choice of topic is not accidental, as Greece has all the prospects to win a substantial market share, given its popularity among Asian tourists, who love culture and history.

The Conference will consist of three thematic sessions and one round table discussion with the following content:

– Growth and trends in outbound Asian tourism

– Connectivity & Travel Facilitation

– Approaching the Asian Traveler

The round table will focus on: ‘Is Greek tourism Asian-ready? The road ahead’

Speakers at the Conference will be representatives of: World Tourism Organisation, Greek Ministry of Tourism, Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Athens International Airport, Global Tourism Economy Forum-Macau, IVY Alliance, Fraport Greece, European Travel Commission, Piraeus Port Authority – COSCO, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Greek tourism agencies.

The organising consultant of the Conference is the tourism generis company.

02/11/2017 – 20:23