ISTANBUL, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Greece agreed to boost tourism cooperation, local media reported Wednesday in a tourism forum held in Turkey's western province of Izmir.
Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias attended the Turkey-Greece 9th Tourism Forum and the 4th Tourism Joint Committee Meeting and addressed a series of issues, the Hurriyet daily said.
The current COVID-19 situation and cooperation possibilities in maritime and cruise tourism topped the agenda of the forum, it added.
"From now on, we want to focus our strategies on the Aegean Region that receives most tourists," Ersoy was quoted as saying.
"We will develop our strategies and cooperation in this direction," considering Greece as a partner country, he pointed out.
Kikilias, for his part, said tourism revenue of the region can reach much higher levels by increasing the tourist movement between the two countries.
"We have to make tourism revenues a part of the gross national product in both countries because tourism is an important income for both Greece and Turkey," the Greek minister noted.
The delegation of 25 Greek tour operators and some representatives of the hotel industry will hold meetings with their Turkish counterparts during the events, which will end on Thursday. Enditem
