Greece’s Elena Kountoura has been named Best Tourism Minister Worldwide, during the International Tourism Awards, which were held in Berlin.
At the PATWA International Travel Awards, which have been referred to as the Oscars for tourism, Greece snagged the Best Destination - Leisure prize, while Kountoura herself was awarded as the Best Tourism Minister Worldwide and also received the Woman Achiever award from the Institute of South Asian Women (ISAW) for her contribution to the care of women and children.
Kountoura was also given an award by the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) - Celebrating Her for Greece's successful strategy to develop tourism.
Talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), Kountoura said it was a "major recognition and important achievement" for Greek tourism and dedicated the awards to Greece and the Greeks "the most hospitable people in the world."
She thanked Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for placing his trust in her and "sharing with me the vision for the development of Greek tourism" and the ministers that always supported her, as well as the tourism ministry itself, the National Tourism Organisation, her own team and the private sector "which worked just as hard for this success."
"A big thank you for all those that worked so that we might have this excellent result," the Minister concluded.