Greek Minister partners with 'Queer Destinations' to boost LGBT tourism

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Queer Destinations tourism company on Thursday to promote Greece as a friendly destination for LGBTQ+ people.

At an event presenting the Tourism Ministry’s strategy to attract more LGBTQ+ visitors to the country, Kefalogianni said that Greece is the first country in Europe to open its arms to the community, and this agreement reflects the values Greece wants to promote as a tourism destination.

The community represents over 10% of global demand and nearly 16% of total expenditures in the tourism sector, which in absolute numbers exceeds $195 billion.

Greek initiatives include connecting the ministry’s national strategy with those of local destinations; amending the framework regulating hotel-customer relations; rating tourist accommodation on the degree of staff awareness and services to the LGBTQ+ community, and building relationships with specialized travel agencies and organizations abroad.

Queer Destinations has a presence in 14 countries and trains tourism professionals to cater to the needs of LGBTQ+ travelers.

It networks with over 300 partners, including hotels.