Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni meets with Spain’s Ambassador to Greece, Jorge Domecq, to discuss coordination ahead of the EU’s upcoming Tourism Strategy and bilateral cooperation initiatives.
Greece is stepping up its tourism diplomacy efforts at both European and international level, with Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni holding separate meetings with the ambassadors of Spain and Panama to strengthen cooperation ahead of key policy developments in 2026.
During her meeting with Spain’s Ambassador to Greece, Jorge Domecq, discussions focused on coordination within the European Union, particularly in view of the upcoming announcement of the EU’s first unified Tourism Strategy, expected in April 2026. The two sides exchanged views on the priorities that will shape Europe’s effort to maintain and enhance its global leadership as a tourism destination.
Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni with Spain’s Ambassador to Greece, Jorge Domecq, during discussions that also highlighted cooperation within UN Tourism and Greece’s recent re-election to the organization’s Executive Council.
The talks also explored opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as tourism education, exchange of know-how and the possible establishment of a formal cooperation framework. Both sides underlined the importance of mutual support at multilateral level, including within UN Tourism. Greece was recently re-elected to the Organization’s Executive Council, while Madrid hosts its headquarters.
In a separate meeting, Kefalogianni received Panama’s Ambassador to Greece, Julie Lymberopulos Karnakis, with discussions centering on expanding bilateral cooperation in tourism.
Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni during talks with Panama’s delegation, with the flags of Greece and Panama displayed, underscoring efforts to deepen tourism cooperation between the two countries.
The Panamanian ambassador highlighted the sector’s strong growth trajectory in recent years and expressed interest in closer collaboration, noting tourism’s role as a key pillar of both countries’ economies. The Greek minister said she would extend an invitation to Panama’s tourism minister to visit Greece on the occasion of the Panamanian president’s upcoming trip to Athens and the Posidonia 2026 international shipping exhibition, with the aim of holding a bilateral ministerial meeting.
The two sides also agreed to move forward with the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding to define the scope and framework of future cooperation.
Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and Panama’s Ambassador to Greece, Julie Lymberopulos Karnakis, following discussions on expanding tourism ties and preparing for high-level bilateral engagement in the coming months.
Through these engagements, Greece signals its intention to play an active role in shaping European tourism policy while simultaneously broadening its international partnerships beyond the EU.
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