Sofia Bournazi Dynamic Marketing Pro For Northern Greece By Maralyn D. Hill

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arly October of 2012, I had the pleasure of meeting Sofia Bournazi via e-mail. She was Marketing Director for the Halkidiki Tourism EOrganization and was interested in sponsoring a press trip. As the committee I co-chaired worked putting together this trip, Sofia became a friend and our first trip was organized in May of 2013.

Due to the success of the first trip, we worked on a second one for June 2014. This time, my husband Norm and I were fortunate to be part of the group attending. Sofia and I clicked and developed a great appreciation for her marketing ability, work ethic, love of country, and sense of life. Sofia thinks outside the box and has the ability Thessaloniki Photo to pull people together to provide by Maralyn D. Hill successful business and personal relationships and associations. country ends and the other begins; Maralyn: Can you tell us about vice versa. Most people who visit Maralyn: Sofia, what prompted you all we care about is how easy it is how you’ve seen Halkidiki tourism Greece fly from Athens to Santorini to focus on tourism as your career? to travel from one place to another demographics grow since you or Mykonos islands. This means that Sofia: The idea of visiting and if we have something interesting have started that collaboration they already have at least one cosmopolitan places and being part to see or do in a close distance. for tourism? internal flight. What we are looking of a life-style where everyone Northern Greece hosted several Sofia: Halkidiki has 100,000 for is to add the package of Athens- was smiling and had a good time civilizations during its 3.000 year population, but since it is a well Northern Greece in the existing has always been appealing to me. old history and every one of them known leisure destination, it attracts packages of Athens-Islands or Growing up, I discovered that in the left its mark. Therefore, there are more than 1,000,000 visitors during Athens-Peloponnese and do it now! tourism business, you help people several cultural, historical, religious, summer season. Of course, this has materialize their dreams. I think that nature, gastronomy routes for the never been a one man show, but Maralyn: Is there a particular part the combination of enjoying what visitors to explore: the footsteps a result of synergies between the of your job that is the most fun? you do and finding a meaning in your of St Paul, the residence of the 12 associations, the businessmen and Sofia: It is definitely the design of job, creates a career. Olympian Gods, the birthplace of the local authorities. Halkidiki is the new projects. When information Aristotle, the grave of King Phillip II, represented by clusters and that seems irrelevant at first glance Maralyn: Can you share a little the palace of Alexander the Great, associations that operate under turns into an idea, and shapes to about your company and how you the Byzantine monasteries, the the umbrella of Halkidiki Tourism a project, it’s exciting. For example, have branched out? Ottoman monuments, the Jewish Organization. I am lucky to we heard about the new trend of Sofia: I founded PASS PARTOUT synagogues etc. participate in a team that promotes sustainable tourism and wondered marketing company in 2004, after the destination via a unified how we would apply it for Halkidiki. working in tourism and for tourism Maralyn: You do seem to be marketing strategy which is targeted The research revealed that for a decade. Since 2008, tourism willing to help visitors and clients and specialized. Today, Halkidiki sustainable tourism is not only marketing consulting and education discover other areas out of your attracts visitors from 30 countries about green tourism, but also became the main activity of my immediate specialty; is that worldwide, protects and certifies about tradition, local products and company. For the last five years, a challenge? its natural and artificial treasures, authenticity. So we put everything PASS PARTOUT has undertaken Sofia: Actually, it is self evident for follows the new global trends in together and the final project was: the marketing strategy of the all Greeks that Greece comes first, tourism, upgrades its infrastructure “Sustainable Halkidiki is the region destination Halkidiki, cooperates then follows the region and then the and educates the people that work with UNESCO monuments (Mount with tourist boards and companies destination. Starting from Halkidiki, in the tourism business. Athos monastic community), NATURA of other regions, especially in it is impossible not to include 2000 protected forests, ECO LABEL Northern Greece, elaborates Thessaloniki city and the nearby Maralyn: With Thessaloniki being and GREEN KEY certified hotels, marketing plans for projects of regions that, together with the second largest city in Greece, BLUE FLAG awarded beaches and the European Union, organizes Halkidiki, create a complete it is such a vibrant destination. marinas, GREEK BREAKFAST in educational seminars and promotes destination with many special With a direct flight from hotels, PRESERVED TRADITIONAL destinations via two travel interest packages. In addition, those Philadelphia being added in 2015, architecture in villages.” This magazines: www.pass2greece.gr regions are served by one airport, do you see that as bringing more became the leader project of our and www.pass2europe.com the airport MAKEDONIA (SKG) of tourism to Northern Greece? promotional campaign in 2013-2014. Thessaloniki. For the visitors from Sofia: I wouldn’t wait for the direct Maralyn: You seem to have a knack U.S.A., this package could be easily flights or count on specific airports, Maralyn: What part of your work to bring many different areas of connected with Athens so that they because I would have to put limits. is the most challenging? Northern Greece together; was experience as much of Greece as Let me put it this way: the airport Sofia: I think it is the opening of that a challenge? possible in one journey. The flight of Thessaloniki is already there and a new market. Imagine a country Sofia: The geographical borders of from Athens to Thessaloniki lasts has already flights from Athens 4-5 that hasn’t heard about Halkidiki each area do not apply in tourism. 35 minutes, but there is also times a day. Any American visitor before, and we need to built from When we all travel, we don’t really a train that goes from Athens to can travel to Athens, stay for a few the beginning the brand of the pay attention where one region or Thessaloniki in about 5-5.30 hours. days and then visit Thessaloniki or destination, contacts with airline

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companies, participation of Halkidiki in Tour Operator’s brochures, promotion of the region via press, until we reach the goal which is getting the first bookings. This procedure is always hard and challenging at the same time.

Maralyn: Can you share some of your upcoming projects? Sofia: Continuing the promotion of the Halkidiki region, we plan to individualize press trips and itineraries of guests, trying to offer visitors exactly what they want. This way, we will be able to stabilize our presence in existing markets and enter new ones by providing special interest services that apply to all types of visitors. The second project Halkidiki Photo by we will run is the interactive Maralyn D. Hill development of www.pass2greece.gr, which in 2-3 months time will not only publish articles but also provide in discovering Northern Greece? Maralyn: I know this is a lot of and journalists. Those people are information and answer questions (You can list several if necessary). work, but we were so impressed invited by the regional Tourism about Greece’s destinations, plus Sofia: Can I introduce myself, not with all Northern Greece had to Organizations to be informed about provide special offers to readers. as a travel agency, but as the key offer, we realize we need to make the destination. If I manage to The third project is about organizing company to introduce travel agents more than one visit. Could you give organize such a Press or a Fam trip quality travel packages for F.I.T.s and according to special requests? If us a modified 3, 5, 7, and 10-day that our guests are inspired enough groups and suggesting unknown I am allowed to do that, then “...dear itinerary or the ones you think? An to publish an article or are persuaded places and new experiences in Greece. readers of Maralyn, if you have alternative would be a highlighted enough from what they’ve seen and requests about travelling to Greece, list of how much there is to see. experienced to sell the destination, Maralyn: I know this puts you on please address the experts: info@ Sofia: Allow me to present some of I consider this a success. the spot and there are many. But, pass2greece.gr. Thank you! Sofia...” the interesting things we suggest. are you able to recommend a local Could this be a more obvious The itineraries can always been Maralyn: Do you have some special travel agent for those interested advertisement, I wonder! adjusted accordingly. memory that was a Wow moment? Sofia: Believe it or not, one of my “Alexander the Great and Aristotle best moments was when I sent the Photo by – Visit the land where the teacher request to host a media trip for the Maralyn D. Hill met the student” (educational tour, IFWTWA members and you, Maralyn, regions: Thessaloniki – Pella – accepted it… and it was a special Imathia - Halkidiki – Pieria) moment because I had just realized how easy it was to contact people “Underground mysteries of that I have never met or talked Macedonia, Greece” (experience tour, before if I had a professional regions: Thessaloniki, Pella, Imathia, approach. The Wow moment was Serres, Halkidiki) when the delegation of IFWTWA finally arrived at the airport “UNESCO monuments of Northern MAKEDONIA of Thessaloniki! Greece” (sightseeing tour, regions: Thessaloniki, Pella, Imathia, Meteora Maralyn: Is there any other aspect you would like to cover? Please “The footsteps of St Paul” (pilgrim feel free to tell us a little more tour, regions: Kavala, Thessaloniki, about yourself and whatever is Imathia, Athens, Korinth) on your mind. Sofia: After organizing more “Wine roads and gastronomy of than 60 successful fam trips for Northern Greece (experience tour, professionals from all over the regions: Kavala, Drama, Thessaloniki, world, after 20 years in the tourism Halkidiki, Imathia, Pella) industry, after writing more than 200 articles about Greece as a travel “Vintage and romance” (Honeymoon editor, I am really serious when package, regions: Thessaloniki, I tell you that Greece’s mainland Halkidiki) is an unknown world, ready to be explored! Thank you for Maralyn: Sofia, what is your the interview! favorite part of your job? Sofia: As you know, Maralyn, if the Sofia, we thank you for providing us guests are happy, then we are. Our with more insight on how much guests are tour operators, travel Northern Greece has to offer and agents, representatives of airline sharing how you go about making companies, media representatives your business successful.

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