Travel Weekly is to run its first overseas Inspiring Women Retreat in Greece.
The two-night retreat aims to build on the success of the Travel Weekly Inspiring Women Lunches, held in London since 2022, and will be hosted in Athens by the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO).
The invite-only event for 30 women from leading travel agencies, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines and car hire firms will take place from November 27-29.
The event will feature a dinner with writer and social entrepreneur Elizabeth Filippouli, founder of Global Thinkers Forum, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes accountability in leadership.
The group will host the group in two city centre hotels and provide lunch at The Roc, Grecotel’s new property on the Athenian Riviera.
A female-led tour of Athens will also be included in the trip, courtesy of sponsor Intrepid Travel, and a dinner hosted by sponsors Celestyal Cruises and Gold Medal. Flights to the retreat are being provided by easyJet.
Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley said: “The new overseas retreat is a natural extension to our successful Inspiring Women Lunches.
“Not only will it provide fantastic networking and another inspiring female speaker, there will be the chance to learn more about the destination and the tourism opportunities of combining a trip to the city and to the Athens Riviera.
“We are delighted Greece will be the inaugural host of our retreat for women from leading firms across the travel industry.”
Speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast to announce the event, UK director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation Eleni Skarveli said she had jumped at the chance to be involved in sponsoring the new event for women in travel and business.
She said: “I am a fan of this event so it was a great opportunity for us to go beyond that.
“With these lunches Travel Weekly has created a special community, addressing the issues we see as women and within our tourism industry, and discussing some of the challenges.
“What better way to participate more in that and give that opportunity as an experience? I really hope the inspiring lunch will be perfectly set around the Acropolis and the atmosphere of the Greek culture.”
Grecotel director of sales and luxury Konstantinos Sinis said the female-dominated family hotel group – which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year – was excited to be hosting the retreat’s attendees and a lunch.
The group will be split between two city centre hotels: The Dolli hotel, close to and offering views of the Acropolis; and the Pallas Athena, an art boutique hotel. The lunch will be held at the new Roc Club on the Athens Riviera, an affluent suburb of Athens offering views of the Astir Marina.
The Dolli opened in January this year and is housed in a listed neoclassical 1925 mansion which has been transformed into a hotel. “This is becoming one of the hot spots in Athens,” said Sinis.
Grecotel, which has 40 hotels, said its UK sales were up 20% year on year. Its hotels have already hosted more than 300 UK agents on fam trips this year and is expecting this to reach 400 by the end of the year.
“The UK market has been an absolute success this year,” he said.
Skarveli said the destination was keen to showcase the fact Athens could offer a combined city centre and relaxing coastal stay as part of one holiday.
“The riviera is already touristy but it’s becoming a stronger trend [to combine the two]. We wanted to give people a total experience of the city centre, and the Acropolis, and at the same time a holiday; it’s a great combination,” she said, adding that Greece has extended its season to mid November this year.
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