The office of the Hellenic Tourism Organization in Istanbul, located in the historical district of Pera, was inaugurated by the Minister of Culture Olga Kefalogianni.

After the consecration performed by the Metropolitan of Saranda, Andreas, the Minister of Tourism mentioned in her brief greeting that Greece and Turkey share the common goal, for mutual benefit, of sustainable tourism that will extend throughout the year, taking care of tourism development of all areas, with respect for the environment and local communities.

Olga Kefalogianni referred to the joint declaration on tourism that she signed in Athens, on December 7, within the framework of the Supreme Cooperation Council, with the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Mehmet Nouri Ersoy. The Joint Declaration reflects the main axes of our bilateral cooperation, in this new chapter, which is now opening, in Greek-Turkish tourism relations.

The Minister of Tourism particularly referred to the new program for granting on-the-spot visas to Turkish citizens and their families to visit ten islands of the Eastern Aegean. The program will start operating from March and the minister expressed her expectation that this program will substantially contribute to the increase of the tourist flow from Turkey, to the benefit of both sides of course.

Bilateral tourism with Turkey, as he said, is of particular importance, as it also functions as a bridge of friendship and trust at the level of civil society and contributes to the creation of a positive climate and good neighborliness.

After the inauguration of the new EOT office, Olga Kefalogianni was given a tour of the adjacent Church of the Assumption and was informed about its rich history.

The entire statement of the Minister of Tourism, Olgas Kefalogiannis, at the opening of the EOT office in Istanbul is as follows:

“First of all I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I wish that the new year brings you all and your families health, happiness and every success.

About ten years ago I had the privilege of inaugurating the then new EOT Office in Istanbul. Much has certainly changed since then in general, but also in the tourism sector in particular.

»The tourist flow between our country and Turkey, in both directions, jumped from a few thousand in the 2000s to over a million on each side, before the pandemic, which, like everyone else sectors, put a brake on tourism and tourist flows between the two countries.

“Today we are here on the occasion of a new beginning. Our main strategic goal, as far as Greek tourism is concerned, is to make it sustainable, i.e. to extend the tourist season throughout the year and to spread incoming tourism throughout the length and breadth of our country, taking care of tourism development of all areas, with respect for the environment and local communities.

“The Turkish side has a similar goal and this is one of the common elements of the tourism policy of the two countries that we can use for mutual benefit.

“Bilateral tourism with Turkey is of particular importance. Not only for its economic dimension, which is of course important for both countries, but also because tourism also functions as a bridge of friendship and trust at the level of civil society and thus contributes to the creation of a positive climate and good neighborliness.

“In Athens, on the 7th of last December, in the framework of the Supreme Council of Cooperation, I met with my counterpart, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Mr. Ersoy, and we signed a Joint Declaration on tourism, which outlines the main axes of the bilateral of our cooperation, in this new chapter, which is now opening, in Greek-Turkish tourism relations.

»The rewarming of bilateral tourism relations begins with good news. Our efforts at the European level were successful and the new on-the-spot visa granting program came into force in ten islands of the Eastern Aegean, which will start operating from next March. This program concerns entries from the sea, through the coastal ferry connections between the Turkish coasts and the Greek islands, and beneficiaries will be Turkish citizens and their family members. Ten Greek islands are included in the program, instead of seven as was the case in the previous period of application of the program, which are Limnos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi and Kastelorizo.

»The entry visa will have a duration of seven days and can be renewed indefinitely within the year, given that the new program operates on an annual basis, and not only during the summer season, like the previous one. The Turkish tourist will be able to travel from the Turkish coast to the aforementioned Greek islands and the visa will be provided on the spot, through a simplified procedure, after, of course, control by the competent Greek authorities. It should be noted that the visa fee has been set at 60 euros and is 30 euros less than the normal one, which will increase to 90 euros within 2024.

“We expect and hope that this program will substantially contribute to the increase of the tourist flow from Turkey, to the benefit of both sides of course.

“The role of our embassy in Ankara and our consular authorities in Turkey, of course the Consulate General in Istanbul, and of course the EOT Office, for the further development of tourism and bilateral tourism cooperation between our country and Turkey, is certainly of primary importance and for this reason the efforts and actions of all of us should be timely, targeted and effective, in order to bear fruit.

“For our part, the Ministry of Tourism and the EOT will provide all possible assistance and guidance, so that we can achieve our common goals.”