At the opening of the international tourism exhibition ITB China 2024 held in Shanghai the regional governor of Attica was found Nikos Hardaliasin the context of the Region’s participation as a co-exhibitor in its national stand EOT.

“Attica and Shanghai are two key entrance pillars between East and West” said Mr. Hardalias and added: “Two metropolitan regions, with an important geostrategic footprint, separated only by the kilometer distance. Because the things that unite them are many and important.”

The regional governor emphasized that the two countries are connected by “the centuries-old cultural tradition, the close commercial, economic and business relations, which create a solid foundation for the development and prosperity not only of the two countries, but also of our wider regions”, as well as and the “shared vision to strengthen our ties, in order to open perspectives for an even better future, with bliss, peace and stability”, as he characteristically said.

He even pointed out that the Region’s presence at the exhibition is an “open invitation to the hundreds of thousands of Chinese friends who visit Greece, to experience the unique Attica experience. To get to know up close the dozens of monuments of world cultural heritage, but also the modern Greek artistic creation, which builds bridges between our peoples”.

The Consul General of Greece in Shanghai Georgios Partheniou and the head of the Commercial Department Spyridon Leontos visited the Region’s stand, while the meeting of the Region’s governor with 30 Greek-speaking students of the University of Shanghai was particularly moving.

“You move me, because if you are so far from Greece, you are so close to our hearts – you are the ambassadors of the friendship of our peoples”, emphasized the regional governor, who asked the students to send specific proposals, in order to create a framework constant cooperation with the Department of Greek Studies in Shanghai.

In the context of the exhibition, Mr. Hardalias also met with the High Commissioner for International Relations of the Chinese province of Hunan, Mr. Zhu Fujian, on the occasion of the official visit of the Governor of the province, Wang Yiou, to Athens at the invitation of the governor at the end of June.

Mr. Fujian expressed the will of the local authority for cooperation related to cultural tourism and civil protection issues between the two regions. “We want our relationship with China to be permanent and systematic, in the context of strategic partnerships that will be implemented within specific time frames” said Mr. Hardalias, who will welcome the Governor of Hunan and the Administration of the Region at the Attica Headquarters in Athens on June 28.

The interest of the Chinese media in the presence of the Attica Region at the exhibition was intense, as the visit of the Regional Governor to the Greek pavilion was covered by important international Chinese news networks such as CTTM, SEEC and ITITV, whose representatives had the opportunity to talk with him.

It is noted that ITB China is the leading industry exhibition in Southeast Asia, exclusively for B2B business meetings, which focuses on the Chinese travel market. It brings together China’s top professionals and connects them with industry professionals from around the world to maximize the results of their professional activities.

In the framework of the Exhibition, the executives of the Attica Region held a total of 27 B2B meetings with leading entrepreneurs in the tourism industry from China and around the world, who expressed their keen interest in the possibilities that Attica offers to the global visitor.

Mr. Hardalia is accompanied by the special secretary of the Attica Region Elena Rapti, the deputy director of the Office of the Regional Governor Dimitris Tarazonas, the Director of the Attica Regional Development Fund Sotiris Nikolaropoulos and the International Relations advisor of Valia Kakarukas.

In the mission of the Region of Attica, the deputy governors of the Central Sector Konstantinos Zombos and Piraeus Stavroula Antonakou, the regional councilors Athanasia Papaspyrou, Dimitris Katsikaris and Konstantinos Kavouras, as well as service executives, participate in the mission of the Attica Region.

As part of his presence in China, the governor will have an official meeting with the mayor of Shanghai Gong Zheng, the administration of the China Local Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) tomorrow, the third day of his visit, while he will also hold visit to the COSCO offices in the city.