Commission supports Greek maritime and coastal tourism

European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Maria Damanaki and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras have opened a high level conference on maritime and coastal tourism. The event will explore the sector’s potential to create growth and new jobs.

Damanaki and Samaras were accompanied by Greek Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni. The European Commission said that tourism, as the ‘heavy industry’ of Greece, represents a unique opportunity to reignite the country’s SMEs and its path to economic growth and competitiveness. A Commission-led ‘Mission for growth’ will also bring representatives of about 145 European companies to Greece to participate in bilateral meetings with 330 SMEs. The aim is to form new partnerships and discuss opportunities for collaboration. Maritime economic activity is the economic backbone of many of Greece’s coastal regions, and the Commission said it hopes to help this sector develop and prosper.

Representatives from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry have also travelled to Athens to further assist SMEs in Greece and help them emerge from the downturn. The DG heads to the country as part of the Europe 2020 strategy and will encourage SMEs to participate in the new economic growth cycle.

A business-to-business networking event has also taken place to encourage business partnerships between Greek and other EU companies. Companies include those from sectors identified as key contributors to achieving economic growth in the country, including tourism, aquaculture, biotechnology and blue biotechnology, energy and ICT.

Further assistance for business will be provided by the new SME Instrument under Horizon 2020, which will support innovative SMEs during the entire innovation cycle.