The seaplane airline “Hellenic Seaplanes” aligns itself with the campaign promoting Greek tourism, strengthening the central message of the new promotional campaign for Greek tourism, “All you want is Greece”.
In an excellent atmosphere, a meeting took place between Hellenic Seaplanes and the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Harry Theoharis, where all the critical issues concerning the development of water airports in the country, the operation of seaplanes, and their contribution to boosting Greek tourism in 2021 through the new tourism campaign were discussed.
During the meeting, the slogan of Hellenic Seaplanes was discussed, with the aim of aligning it with the message of this year’s campaign, inviting tourists to visit Greece. Greece is opening its doors to welcome the world, and Hellenic Seaplanes is spreading its wings to transport passengers by sea plane from port to port, thereby connecting the entire country with its own slogan, “Connecting Greece.”
The President and CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, Mr. Nicolas Charalambous, elaborated on the company’s plan for coordinated actions, in collaboration with the Greek Water Airports, that have been taking place, which aim to establish the largest water airport network in the world, evolving daily, and continually enriched with new applications from seaside and lakeside municipalities, port authorities, and hotel complexes expressing interest in establishing their own water airports.
Additionally, ways in which the Ministry of Tourism could contribute to the further development of the water airport network were discussed. Specifically, the conversation turned to Greece’s lakes, which will soon have their own air transport connections, with flights from islands to lakes becoming a reality, offering new options for visitors to the country. In Western Macedonia, the Regional Governor announced the planning of four new water airports in the corresponding lakes, while the initiative by the Attica Region and Governor Mr. Patoulis to develop Attica’s water airports will significantly enhance passenger traffic to and from the Saronic Gulf, as well as other island destinations.
The investment development of seaplanes was also a key topic of discussion. Mr. Charalambous presented the profile of the first aircraft that will be incorporated into the Hellenic Seaplanes fleet in the coming period and the routes from which they will make their first flights, starting within this year.
Another important subject was the recent strategic collaboration between Hellenic Seaplanes and the aviation company IFLY, which strengthens the presence of seaplanes in Greece’s transportation sector. The memorandum of cooperation between the two companies includes, among other things, the provision of combined services in the leasing of airplanes, helicopters, and seaplanes, developing comprehensive tourist products and sightseeing packages together, as well as the creation of a new model for combined transportation that will bring fresh air into the existing business environment.
At the same time, Mr. Theoharis was informed about the completion of Hellenic Seaplanes’ booking system platform. The software is now in the internal testing phase for direct bookings online for the public, as well as for cooperating travel agencies and businesses that will join the platform. The goal is to offer fast and easy service for direct passenger flight bookings, as well as packages for tour operators with the first sea plane operations.
In his statement, the Minister of Tourism, Harry Theoharis, said: “The development of a network of water airports is a national undertaking, and with the commencement of flights, seaplanes will create new tourism products, parallel activities, and new jobs in islands and remote areas. The Ministry of Tourism will support such investment initiatives that highlight Greece and shape new national transportation infrastructure, providing solutions to the connection problems of the country’s coastal areas…”
Regarding the meeting with the Minister of Tourism, the President and CEO of Hellenic Seaplanes, Mr. Nicolas Charalambous, stated: “We will continue to capitalize on and build upon everything we have achieved so far. With the help of the Greek government, our country will soon have the largest network of water airports in Europe and the world. The demographics of Greek tourism will change, and the operation of seaplanes will contribute to the development of the local economies of the islands, the enhancement of their tourism, and consequently, the improvement of the quality of life for their residents. As the Minister recently announced, this summer, with the slogan ‘All you want is Greece’, our country is preparing to welcome tourists by offering them a pleasant and safe environment for their holidays. At the same time, the seaplanes are revving their engines and will be ready to transport passengers reliably, quickly, and most importantly, safely, to many areas, with the ambition to unite Greece. From this perspective, the slogan of Hellenic Seaplanes, ‘Connecting Greece’, aligns with ‘All you want is Greece’, and we are optimistic that everything will develop positively.”
