The Greek Tourism Ministry and the Hellenic Association of Brewers have taken the first step to officially make beer tourism part of Greece’s tourism product with the launch of the Visitable Brewery Label.
Presented on Wednesday during a press conference in Athens, the Visitable Brewery Label will indicate the breweries in Greece that meet specific standards (high-quality facilities) and offer services (tours, tasting events), and are therefore certified to welcome beer enthusiasts.
Speaking during the press conference, Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki said the new label is part of the ministry’s efforts to sustainably develop the Greek tourism product and further differentiate it through the promotion of special forms of tourism that highlight quality and offer a completely new experience to visitors.
“This new label comes to bring together the world of domestic beer – from the grain processing to the brewing process to the production of Greek beer – with that of hospitality,” Zacharaki said, adding that it also aims to strengthen Greek businesses, encouraging them to look for new ways of development.
“Our ambition is for this union to introduce both worlds to new opportunities for creation and extroversion, so that we can promote every productive force that our country has,” she added.
The main goal of the label is to offer beer enthusiasts a comprehensive experience, an in-depth look into a brewery’s facilities and beer production process (through guided tours). The experience will continue with product tastings and, in some cases, end with hospitality services (overnight stays), as holders of the Visitable Brewery Label will also have the option to create small-scale tourist accommodation facilities.
Breweries of all categories can apply to their local tourism offices to receive the new Visitable Brewery Label. To receive the certification, breweries must meet the requirements, indicating they have suitable facilities to host guests and provide accessibility to all. Breweries that want to be certified and obtain the label, among other things, must have a designated area for guests to sample their beers (tasting room) as well as access for people with special needs, reduced mobility and disabilities.
During the press conference, it was announced that the tourism ministry can assist breweries in applying for subsidies from EU funds (NSRF) to cover the costs of creating accessibility facilities.
Establishing ‘Beer Routes’ in Greece
According to Hellenic Association of Brewers President Sofoklis Panagiotou, many breweries, mainly on the islands and in regional Greece, could be part of this initiative.
Moreover, he added that the label will lead to the creation of Beer Routes that will follow the standards already established by the Wine Routes initiative.
“Brewery tourism, as an activity of a broader culinary experience for the visitor, will strengthen businesses operating in the region and in tourism destinations, strengthening the development path of our sector,” Panagiotou said.
Greece has some 60 breweries in operation, 18 of which are members of the Hellenic Association of Brewers.
Visitable Brewery Label will bring benefits to breweries
Breweries that are part of the Visitable Brewery Label network will be included on an online map widely circulated in both Greece and abroad, and will also have access to a branding and marketing program funded by the Recovery and Resilience Fund, focused on promoting Greek beer to domestic and international markets.
Secured by the tourism ministry, the funds, which amount to some 17 million euros, will also be allocated to actions to promote agritourism, create the first agritourism/gastronomy tourism network, and establish a Destination Management & Promotion Organisation (DMMO) focused on developing and promoting the aforementioned tourism forms. The DMMO, which will be the first of its kind in Greece and focuses on thematic tourism, is currently in the planning phase.
The establishment of the new Visitable Brewery Label marks a series of actions planned by the tourism ministry to strengthen agritourism and highlight unique destinations with primary-sector activities.
The Visitable Brewery Label follows the certification label for visitable wineries, while labels for visitable olive mills and cheese factories (recently put up for public consultation) are expected to follow suit.
From: gtp.gr
By: Nikos Krinis
