European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas speaking during the Destination Europe Summit in Brussels.
Greek National Tourist Organization (GNTO) Secretary General Andreas Fiorentinos represented Greece at the Destination Europe Summit, held on Thursday in Brussels, where industry leaders discussed the future of Europe as a tourism destination and key sector challenges.
Organized by the European Travel Commission (ETC), Booking.com, and Euronews, the Destination Europe Summit serves as an annual platform for exchanging views and expertise on tourism policies in Europe. The event brought together tourism ministers, national tourism organization heads, and executives from leading global travel companies, including Booking.com and Mastercard, to discuss strategies for strengthening Europe’s appeal as a destination.
ETC President Miguel Sanz highlighted the need to enhance Europe’s competitiveness as a unified tourism market. He underlined the importance of promoting the “Europe” brand more effectively and advancing digitalization in travel services, both of which are priorities for the coming years.
GNTO Secretary General Andreas Fiorentinos and European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas. Photo source: GNTO
During the summit, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas outlined his vision for tourism in Europe, noting that despite being the world’s second smallest continent, Europe leads globally in visitor numbers. He underscored the opportunities emerging from the Middle East and Asia and stressed the need for sustainable tourism management, ensuring visitor safety, experience diversification, and balanced tourist flows.
The Commissioner also announced plans for a new unified European strategy for sustainable tourism, designed to address climate change challenges, promote regional development, enhance digital tools for small and medium-sized enterprises, and reinforce Europe’s position as a leading sustainable tourism destination.
Greece’s contribution & key meetings
GNTO Secretary General Andreas Fiorentinos, ETC CEO Eduardo Santander, Bulgarian Tourism Minister Miroslav Borsosh, EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, ETC President Miguel Sanz. Photo source: GNTO
Representing Greece, GNTO Secretary General Andreas Fiorentinos presented the country’s strategic vision as a key player in the global tourism sector. He participated in discussions on the industry’s challenges and held an exchange of views with Commissioner Tzitzikostas, where both sides agreed on closer cooperation regarding Greek tourism.
On the sidelines of the summit, Fiorentinos held high-level meetings with Bulgarian Tourism Minister Miroslav Borsosh, Booking.com’s Global Head of Public Affairs Peter Lochbihler, and ETC CEO Eduardo Santander. Discussions focused on best practices for enhancing Greece’s tourism offerings.
Booking.com Global Head of Public Affairs Peter Lochbihler and GNTO Secretary General Andreas Fiorentinos. Photo source: GNTO
In an interview with Euronews, Fiorentinos highlighted new tourism infrastructure projects in Greece, funded through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, and the GNTO’s digital transformation efforts. He highlighted how these initiatives will enhance the visitor experience, including the development of Greece’s first one-stop digital platform for planning and organizing trips.
The summit also saw the participation of Emy Anagnostopoulou, director of GNTO France.
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