Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, speaking at the annual conference of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), stressed that "it is the first time in the history of the European Union that tourism has been added to the portfolio of a commissioner, which demonstrates the importance that Europe gives to the sector.".
He also referred to the great importance of tourism to the Greek economy. He noted that Greece is among the top 10 tourist destinations worldwide and among the top five destinations for European tourists. He underlined that the contribution of tourism to the domestic GDP, directly and indirectly, amounts to almost 30%.
Tzitzikostas also underlined that his goal is that the economic success of tourism should be translated into real benefits for local communities and small and medium enterprises.