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I am really pleased for welcoming the 6th International Meetings and Incentives Conference (IMIC).
This Greek oriented and producted conference, which counts 6 years of continuing existence, has managed to increase its significance in the field of meeting and incentives, by inviting very recognisable and important speakers and expertise both from national and international level.
Additionally, I would like to underline IMIC¢s high significance for tourism due to its focus in introducing and promoting emerging issues faced both in rural and urban locations.
It is undoubted that the incentives and meetings tourism is one of the most emerging forms of tourism, worldwide. Hence issues, trends and new ideas presented in IMIC 2010, must be taken into account by public and private sector.
Our goal, both in personal and national level is to take advantage of the current trends in conventional tourism, by utilizing the appropriate strategies, in order to enhance the Greek tourism product.
It is already known that the “sea and sun” tourism is not enough anymore neither for the Greek brand nor for the tourism demand. Hence, the more forms of tourism we exploit, the more we can expand our touristic period and face the great problem of seasonality.
In the meantime, I would also like to introduce the Athens Tourism Symposium (ATS) 2010, which is an academic conference taking place for the first time this year. Its role in the tourism research is expected to be very important as it aims at providing a forum for researchers, educators, students and professionals, in order to explore the trends that are shaping the present and the future of the tourism economy.
Concluding, I am expressing my honest support for resembling conferences which enhance the Greek tourism and economy.
Truly yours,
Angeliki Gerekou
Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism