In a significant event, the Greek Minister of Culture, Olga Kefalogianni, inaugurated the office of the Greek Tourism Organization (GNTO) in Constantinople’s historic Pera district. The ceremony included a sanctification service performed by Metropolitan Andreas of Forty Churches.
During her address, the Minister of Tourism emphasized the shared goal between Greece and Turkey of fostering sustainable tourism for mutual benefit. She highlighted the importance of year-round tourism development across all regions, with a commitment to environmental conservation and support for local communities.
Kefalogianni stressed the recent joint declaration on tourism signed in Athens on December 7, within the framework of the High-Level Cooperation Council, with Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. The declaration outlines key areas of bilateral cooperation, shaping a new chapter in Greek-Turkish tourism relations.
Specifically, the Minister pointed to the upcoming program granting visas to Turkish citizens and their families, allowing visits to ten islands in the Eastern Aegean. Set to launch in March, Kefalogianni expressed optimism that the initiative would significantly boost tourist traffic from Turkey, benefiting both countries.
Bilateral tourism with Turkey, she noted, holds particular importance, serving as a bridge of friendship and trust at the civil society level and fostering a positive climate of good neighborliness.
Following the GNTO office inauguration, Olga Kefalogianni toured the adjacent Church of the Assumption, where she learned about its rich history, further emphasizing the cultural ties between Greece and Constantinople.
Source: ANA-MPA / Article translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
