PH Embassy in Athens Touts PH Tourism at PHILOXENIA 2022
The Philippine Embassy team composed of (from left to right) Mr. Rolando B. Crucillo, Attaché; Ms. Karina Salve Untalan, Megaworld International Senior Country Manager for Europe; Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Thessaloniki; H.E. Giovanni E. Palec, Ambassador of the Philippines to Greece; Mr. Gerard O. Panga, Tourism Attaché based in London; Ms. Fe M. Dumaguit, Cultural Officer; and Ms. Rhea Lorraine B. Lorenzo, Assistant. (Athens PE photo)
ATHENS, 01 December 2022 — After the Philippines was declared by the World Travel Awards as the world's leading beach and dive destination for 2022, the Philippine Embassy in Athens, led by Ambassador Giovanni E. Palec, participated as an exhibitor during the PHILOXENIA 2022: 37th International Tourism Exhibition held on 18-20 November 2022 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Philippine Honorary Consul to Thessaloniki Nikolaos Margaropoulos, Tourism Attaché based in London Gerard O. Panga, and Megaworld International Senior Country Manager for Europe Karina Salve Untalan joined the Embassy during the three-day tourism promotion activity.
PHILOXENIA, which was held in parallel with the Hotelia and Real Estate Expo North, has attracted 24,153 visitors, 335 exhibitors from 18 countries, and welcomed 115 hosted buyers from 35 countries, as well as a business delegation of 158 people from Iraqi Kurdistan as coordinated by the Erbil Chamber of Commerce. During the three-day event, around 3,500 meetings between the exhibitors and buyers, as well as several side events took place. At the same time more than 50 foreign investors visited the Real Estate Expo North.
During the expo, the Embassy promoted the Philippines as the next travel destination and distributed around 1,000 tourism brochures while the Philippine booth showcased posters of Philippine destinations such as Intramuros, Boracay, Palawan, Banaue, Bohol, Cebu, Camiguin, Vigan, Siargao, and Zambales. The Embassy, together with Tourism Attaché Panga and Ms. Untalan, also met more than 100 expo visitors, hosted buyers, travel agencies and tour operators not only from Greece but also from other Balkan and European countries.
Prior to PHILOXENIA in Thessaloniki, Mr. Gerard Panga and Ms. Karina Salve Untalan conducted a tourism and investment presentation on 16 November 2022 at the President Hotel in Athens. During the event, Mr. Panga presented developments on the Philippine tourism sector while Ms. Untalan introduced real estate investment opportunities which generated keen interest among the attendees. Among the Greek and Filipino audience were Honorary Consuls Mr. Nikos Margaropoulos (Thessaloniki) and Mr. Harry Vafias (Piraeus). END
Left photo: The Philippine Embassy distributed around 1,000 tourism brochures with information on basic facts about the Philippines and destinations such as Boracay, Bohol and Palawan. Middle photo: Visitors of the PHILOXENIA took photos of the Embassy booth with its unique design using the “banig”. Right photo: Visitors of the Expo, especially tourism students, flocked to the Philippine Embassy booth to inquire about the Philippines as a possible travel destination. (Athens PE photo)
Left photo: Mr. Eftihis Bletsas, content creator and TV host of Greek travel show “Happy Traveller” visited the Philippine Embassy booth, inquiring on possible destinations in the Philippines that could be featured on his channel. Right photo: Mr. Emmanouil Vlachogiannis, First Vice President of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also visited the Embassy’s booth during the PHILOXENIA. (Athens PE photo)
Left photo: Ambassador Giovanni E. Palec opened the Tourism and Investment Presentation on 16 November 2022 at President Hotel in Athens, Greece. Right photo: Mr. Gerard O. Panga, Tourism Attaché based in London, and Ms. Karina Salve Untalan, Megaworld International Senior Country Manager for Europe, discussed the tourism developments and real estate investment opportunities in the Philippines during the presentation in Athens, Greece. (Athens PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.athenspe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHLinGreece/.