Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyanni stated that the visa on arrival system will be valid throughout the entire year. TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya expressed their desire for the extension of the program to cover other islands.
The Greek delegation, led by Greek Minister of Tourism Olga Kefaloyanni, currently on official visits in Turkey, held a meeting with the Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB) in Istanbul.
During the meeting, Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyanni mentioned the recently signed cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.
Addressing the visa on arrival issue for ten Greek islands this year, Kefaloyanni expressed her satisfaction with the continuation of the visa on arrival program throughout the year starting in March. She emphasized the cultural significance of the program for fostering tourism activities and facilitating interaction between the people. Kefaloyanni also stressed the importance of sustainability in tourism, stating, "For us, sustainability in tourism is essential, not just seasonal tourism. I believe our efforts should be focused on achieving this goal."
"We expect it to cover other islands."
TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya stated, "Our mutual tourism traffic is around 500,000 tourists. We are making every effort to increase this capacity as much as possible. On behalf of all travel agencies and our Association, I express my gratitude for the visa on arrival application for Greek islands. Of course, we hope that this practice becomes permanent. Additionally, I would like to express our expectation for the extension of the visa on arrival application to cover other islands to facilitate cruise tours."