“Beer is leaving the all-inclusive hotel zone where mass consumption takes place, and beer itself is officially recognized as a tourist product for the first time in Greece. At the same time, Greek tourism is becoming not only hotel, but also multifaceted.” Higher accent on “k” Mister. Alexandros Kourisits founder and owner Cyclades Brewery, which produces “Nisos” beer, on the occasion of a recent initiative by the Hellenic Brewers Association and the Ministry of Tourism to create a “Visiting Brewery” label. An initiative reminiscent of the Visited Winery initiative, which is also ongoing as a draft joint ministerial decision for the Visited Cheese Factory is currently under discussion.

Thus, even with a delay, the Greek state and the beer sector are starting to realize what the food and beverage industries in other countries have been doing for years, increasing both inbound and domestic tourism both in quantity and quality. In fact, this visited brewery initiative provides additional opportunities for promotion as well as income generation, mainly for microbreweries, since they are in many cases located in tourist places, and also have facilities that can attract the interest of visitors, since they are small, rather than large industrial facilities. “It is this new establishment that is primarily aimed at those who want to escape from the great ocean of beer, beer that can only be drunk frozen, and taste beer with organoleptic characteristics,” emphasizes Mr. Kouris. At the same time, out of 14 of its members Hellenic Union of Brewers only two of them are large breweries that are subsidiaries of multinational corporations (Heineken’s Athens Brewery and Carlsberg’s Olympic Brewery).

At the same time, the procedures for the Cheese Factory Visit Sign are also moving forward.

To get business Brewery visit sign it must have a reception and waiting area for visitors, a room suitably configured and equipped for beer tasting, sanitary facilities for men, women and the disabled, and at least one room accessible to all, including people with disabilities and the disabled in general, or people with limited mobility, as well as people with sensory impairments. Visited breweries can have both a dining room and accommodation, but not in the form of a hotel, but as a non-main tourist accommodation (rented premises, rest home, etc.). The badge will be valid for 5 years from the date of issue.

At the same time, the process of awarding the “Visited Dairy” label is ongoing, which is also expected to increase the number of tourist destinations in island and mainland Greece and benefit small cheese factories throughout the year. And in this case, special areas for tasting and the possibility of operating catering and accommodation facilities are provided, while the emphasis will be placed mainly on units producing cheeses with a protected designation of origin (PDO) and a protected geographical indication (PGI). Greece has registered 22 PDO cheeses, one PGI cheese, while the approval of another PGI cheese is pending.