AFEA Travel & Congress Services

10.2021

Hellenic TV UK Interview

AFEA CEO, Sissy Lignou in an interview at "Hellenic Showroom'' on Hellenic TV channel in UK.

The new TV season 2021-2022 of the show has started and the guest of the first one was Mrs. Sissy Lygnou. A Greek woman who, in addition to being the CEO of AFEA Travel and Congress Services, General Secretary of the Hellenic Association of Professional Conference Organizers (HAPCO) is also a member of the Board of IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organizers).

Sissy Lygnou speaks and explains, among other things, to Iphigenia Fren and the show about how honorable this election is and how important the "industry" of conferences is for the development of tourism and not only in our country.The shooting took place in the enchanting space of the Vorre Museum. The show was broadcast on Hellenic TV UK, the Greek Diaspora channel in London and around the world where there are Greeks.

You can watch the interview here

09.2021

Travel Daily News Interview

AFEA CEO and Secretary General of HAPCO & DES, Sissy Lygnou, talks to Travel Daily News about the changes brought to the MICE market by the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can watch the full interview here

07.2021

Sustainable tourism with social cohesion and investment in local communities

An event for Greek Tourism and the Transition to a Sustainable Business model, organized by CSR Hellas and supported by AFEA.

The need to review the strategy and actions of the tourism industry, given the “urgency” to address the effects of climate change and international developments in relation to sustainability issues and the governments’ commitments for the Agenda 2030, was the main topic of the online event organized by CSR HELLAS, under the title "Greek Tourism: Towards a new Sustainable Development model".

The webinar was participated by Sofia Zacharaki, the Deputy Minister of Tourism in Greece, Maria Alexiou, President of CSR HELLAS Network and important representatives of the Meetings & Tourism Industry in Greece, among them Sissy Lignou, AFEA CEO and member of IAPCO BoD, underlining the importance of this subject in the industry.

The discussion focused on the “next day” of tourism and hospitality, in the context of developments taking place on European and International level and related to Sustainability and Responsible Business issues, and to the impact of the pandemic, in creating a new form of business environment for the industry.

Among the main topics raised in the discussion, were the importance of integrating the principles of sustainable development into the strategy and operation of tourism businesses. In order to achieve this, the need for support and involvement on behalf of the government is undoubtable and crucial. On this basis, the majority of the speakers referred also to the importance of education for the younger generations and the incorporation of the subject of Sustainability in Tourism Schools.

To conclude, in the coming years, new requirements and expectations of consumers will be emerging, and these factors will affect the way tourism and hospitality operates. In this new environment, companies in the Meetings & Tourism sector are called upon to adapt by reviewing the current business-as-usual model and taking into account the new conditions that are formed on the basis of Sustainable Development and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis.
Find out more about CSR Hellas Network and actions here.