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The tourism trade fair duo will be organised in a completely safe and healthy environment
After a year of forced absence due to the pandemic, the Philoxenia-Hotelia tourism trade fair duo is making a dynamic return from 12 to 14 November, in a completely healthy and safe environment at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre. In fact, the interest of Greek and foreign exhibitors is great as regards the two fairs that have been identified with Greece’s tourism sector, and messages of optimism are expected for the new day of tourism.
Tourism entrepreneurs (travel agencies and major hotel units), tourist destination exhibitors (Regions, Municipalities), hosted buyers from 28 countries, and regular visitors looking for information on their next travel getaway, will all meet again at the Philoxenia International Tourism Exhibition, joining in an event that has been synonymous to tourism entrepreneurship for 36 years. Philoxenia has attracted participations from 11 countries besides Greece; specifically, Iraq, Jordan, Poland, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Portugal, Vietnam, Luxembourg, Peru, and India.
The honoured municipality of the event will be the Municipality of Epidaurus, a region blessed with top historical sites and sustainable tourism development, with an emphasis on alternative forms of tourism. Meanwhile, many municipalities from all over Greece and almost all the Regions will be present in Thessaloniki, to highlight the tourism “virtues” of their destinations.
The dynamism of this year’s Philoxenia is also highlighted in the rich side event programme that includes thematic presentations, colloquiums, workshops, and the Hosted Buyers Programme. The congress that has become an institution holds a special place at this year’s event. It will focus on ‘Tourism Experience: Searching for Authenticity’ this year and explore the need to understand and evaluate the tourism experience, and delve deeper into how a region needs to be shaped in order to be attractive to visitors.
Also back at Philoxenia’s side is the Hotelia International Hotel Equipment Exhibition. The reopening of hotel enterprises, their sustainable and safe operation, and new partnerships that upgrade and enhance tourism products will be the framework of this year’s event. Hotelia exhibitors come from he sectors of construction, pools, furniture, and equipment for hotels, catering, and gastronomy. Besides Greece, the event has attracted participations from Turkey, France, and Bulgaria.
In the framework of Hotelia, two thematic units will be explored: All About Café, an original and innovative unit dedicated to the art of preparing coffee, and All About Gastronomy, focused on gastronomy.