The Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Iraq, Nazdar Sherzad, Diplomat Ali Al Ghadhban, Angeliki Rosolati, Legal Advisor of FedHATTA, and Lysandros Tsilidis, President of FedHATTA.

FedHATTA and representatives from the Embassy of Iraq in Athens laid the foundations for the development of an organized and long-term collaboration in the tourism sector. The working meeting was attended by the president of FedHATTA, Lysandros Tsilidis, as well as the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Iraq, Nazdar Sherzad, and Diplomat Ali Al Ghadhban.

The discussion took place within the framework of the contacts that FedHATTA is developing with embassies and institutional bodies abroad, aiming to create new channels of cooperation, mutual promotion of destinations, and strengthening professional relationships between travel agencies in Greece and abroad. During the meeting, specific initiatives for promoting tourism between Greece and Iraq were discussed, as well as the possibilities of informing professionals about the tourism products and points of interest in both countries.

In this context, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between FedHATTA and the corresponding professional body of Iraq is being planned. The MOU will serve as the institutional basis for the development of joint actions, the exchange of expertise, and closer connections between the tourism and travel agencies of the two countries. The promotion of Iraqi destinations through the website, digital networks, and communication channels of FedHATTA was also discussed.

Additionally, there was a particular interest in organizing training seminars on the applications of Artificial Intelligence in tourism. These seminars, which are part of the educational planning of FedHATTA, will target professionals in the tourism sector, providing updates on new digital tools, the promotion of destinations, and modern practices in organizing and promoting travel products.

FedHATTA also extended an invitation to the Iraqi side to participate in this year’s international tourism exhibition Philoxenia, as part of the FedHATTA’s presence there, to promote Iraqi destinations and hold professional meetings with representatives of the Greek market. The planning also includes the exchange of groups of professionals who will visit the two countries.

The president of FedHATTA, Lysandros Tsilidis, stated: “The development of tourism requires stable institutional collaborations, knowledge of the markets, and direct contact among professionals. For this reason, the sincere and targeted dialogue with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Iraq, Nazdar Sherzad, aimed to create stable channels of communication between the two tourism markets and to develop new collaboration opportunities, always respecting the institutional framework governing travel to and from third countries.”