ECTAA’s Regional Meeting in Athens, Greece
On Friday, February 7, 2020, the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) and the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist and Travel Agencies (FedHATTA) had the great pleasure of hosting the regional meeting of ECTAA, European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations, of which HATTA is a member.
The meeting was attended by ECTAA’s new Secretary General, Eric Drésin, Treasurer, Member of the Fiscal Committee and member of HATTA Board of Directors Marios Kammenos, and Vassilis Stamataris, President of ACTA Cyprus, Daniela Stoeva, President of ABTTA Bulgaria and Tali Laufer, CEO of ITTAA Israel, as well as FedHATTA President Lysandros Tsilidis.
It should be noted that FedHATTA, ACTA and ITTAA are also linked as members of EMTTAAS (East Mediterranean Travel & Tourist Agents Associations Synergies), an important initiative for tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The meeting presented the most recent ECTAA actions and initiatives at the EU institutions and discussed current and future challenges and priorities in each country. Views were exchanged on how the tourism industry will be represented over the next five years and how it can be improved.
GNTO President Angela Gerekou, specially invited by ECTAA, also participated in the meeting, mainly to discuss the important issue of Sustainable Tourism, which has been a long-standing concern for the tourism industry globally. Sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant, making it necessary to intensify efforts to introduce concepts and certifications for sustainability in every aspect of the tourism product.
The meeting was followed by a working lunch at the Grande Bretagne Hotel, which was hosted by FedHATTA and was attended by the Minister of Tourism, Haris Theocharis. Also present at the lunch were HATTA members who represent the Association in the ECTAA Committees, in particular Nikos Kelaiditis – Destination, Incoming Tourism and Sustainability Committee, George Maroutsos – Air Matters Committee and Christos Christodoulakis – Tour Operators Committee, as well as the representative in the Legal Committee Angeliki Rossolatou.
The next meeting of ECTAA representatives, EMTTAAS representatives and the President of GNTO will take place in Cyprus, within the framework of the “TAXIDI 2020” Exhibition (24-29.04.2020), during which there will be an opportunity for further discussions, and seeking ways of cooperation, mutually beneficial for the countries of the region and tourism in general.
We will all be there!
