“Philoxenia celebrated its 40th anniversary”
Philoxenia–Hotelia and FOOD & DRINKS by Detrop inaugurated their entry into a new era, bringing tourism and gastronomy closer together this year. From 14 to 16 November, they welcomed more than 20,000 visitors from 47 countries to the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre, leaving the best impressions on participants. The two fairs, which gathered 550 exhibitors from Greece and abroad, hosted more than 4,350 scheduled business meetings that laid the groundwork for future collaborations, while over the three days destinations within Greece and abroad, hospitality businesses, coffee service companies, and the gastronomic treasures of Greece were presented. Through the joining of forces, the two exhibitions demonstrated that they can successfully combine tradition, innovation, and business opportunities.
This year’s dual event was marked by the 40th anniversary of Philoxenia, which showcased a panorama of destinations and tourism enterprises, hosting 300 exhibitors from Greece and 21 foreign countries, including Armenia, Egypt, Bosnia, Georgia, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkey, and Portugal. Serbia had a place of honor, with participation from several of its regions, and TIF-HELEXPO signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism of Vojvodina and the Novi Sad Fair, while another memorandum was signed with Turkey’s “Izmir Fair Services, Culture & Art Affairs Trade Inc.” (IZFAS).
At the heart of the 40th Philoxenia was an enhanced B2B business program with two pillars:
• B2B Corporate Networking, a new addition, where 25 companies had the opportunity to meet exhibitors, hotels, and travel agencies presenting their tourism services.
• The Hosted Buyers Program, with 110 invited tourism professionals from 36 countries. With the Peloponnese Regional Union of Municipalities as Gastronomy Sponsor, guests tasted local products, while the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization sponsored the city tour and the Department of Organizations, Marketing, and Tourism Administration of IHU supported volunteers. Through these programs, more than 3,700 scheduled B2B meetings took place, and the fair also welcomed two business delegations of around 100 people from North Macedonia and Bulgaria, as well as a large delegation from the Panhellenic Federation of Hotel Managers.
As part of the anniversary events for Philoxenia’s 40 years, a tourism poster exhibition was held—organized by TIF-HELEXPO and the Greek National Tourism Organization – featuring material from 1985 to today. In collaboration with the Greek Instagramers Events community, the “40 Years of Philoxenia” photography competition was also organized, with the winning entries presented at Pavilion 13. The opening of Philoxenia was accompanied by a GNTO reception celebrating the exhibition’s four decades in the tourism sector. The 40th Philoxenia–Hotelia had the GNTO as strategic partner and ODAP as official partner and was held under the auspices of SETE, HATTA, POX, XEE, and HAPCO.
Among the rich parallel events, the standout was the conference “Philoxenia in a Digital Era: Beyond 4.0”, focusing on Innovation, Hospitality, and Destinations in the Digital Age. It highlighted developments in this new chapter of tourism and stressed that digital transformation is essential in an era of rapid change in which the tourist experience has been radically reshaped. The conference was co-organized by TIF-HELEXPO and the Region of Central Macedonia – specifically the Deputy Governorates of Digital Governance and Tourism—and held under the auspices of GNTO, SEPE, and SETPE, with Fraport Greece as hospitality sponsor.
Since the exhibition also serves as a platform that directly connects personnel with the job market, the parallel event Job Festival by Skywalker was hosted at the “I. Vellidis” Conference Centre.
A major attraction for professionals was also the FOOD & DRINKS by Detrop exhibition, which gathered 250 exhibitors, with strong participation from the Regions of Central and Western Macedonia, Western Greece, Peloponnese, Thessaly, and the North Aegean, as well as brands from countries such as Ethiopia, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, China, and South Africa.
All about Café, which this year broke all records with more than 60 major brands from the sector, took center stage. The Coffee Village, sponsored by Eurogat, impressed visitors, who had the chance to attend innovative events, seminars, and workshops. Equally interesting were the themed sections Drinks & Wine by Oenos, Golden Olive, Dairy, Herbs & Honey, and Global & Local, which showcased local flavors and products. Highlights included the Macedonian Cuisine Food Stage, where the Chefs’ Association of Greece cooked live, the Olive Oil Bar of Western Greece, and the Pairing Bar, where exhibitors’ products were creatively paired.
At the same time, major international supermarket chains, key importers from European countries, the Middle East, South America, and the Balkans, invited buyers and commercial visitors from the Balkans, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Czechia, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Cyprus, and Brazil—as well as Greek buyers from major domestic supermarkets and the food service sector—visited FOOD & DRINKS by Detrop. In collaboration with the Federation of Industries of Greece (SBE), a member of the Enterprise Europe Network – Hellas (EEN), they held more than 650 B2B meetings.
As part of the exhibition, the Food Experts’ Awards (FEA) 2025 ceremony – organized by Cibum.gr – took place for the third consecutive year. The event, dedicated to innovation, responsibility, and excellence, became a point of reference for the food and beverage industry, bringing together companies, scientists, professionals, and organizations from all over the country.