“I came here to leave stones on the grave of the mayor who made us feel so welcome last time.” These were the first words of the old Israelite as soon as he set foot in Ioannina; he was one of 75 travelers who arrived in Ioannina on Wednesday evening. with the first direct Tel Aviv-Joannina connection. At the airport, the residents of Gianni were waiting for them with traditional baklava, educational material and a warm smile. The Aegean flight, which will operate twice a week, is the result of the systematic efforts of the municipality of Ioannina and the late mayor Moses Elisaf, together with the region of Epirus. In recent years, the number of arrivals from Israel has been constantly increasing. It is significant that in 2017, 400,000 Israelis visited our country, and in 2022, according to the Bank of Greece, the number of travelers reached 489,522 people, which is an impressive figure when you consider that the total population of the country is 10 million people. In Thessaloniki, Israelis are the first country of origin of tourists, while their attendance is still high in Ioannina and, more broadly, throughout the prefecture. For example, in the cave of Perama in October 2022, 50% of foreign visitors were Israelis.

Visitors are interested in getting to know the city where the Romanio community flourished and perhaps searching for their roots, but they are also drawn to the mountain ranges of Ioannina Prefecture. “It’s something exotic for them, because Israel is more or less flat,” says Mr. Thodoris Vandolas, owner of a hotel in downtown Zagori that has been hosting Israelis for the past decade. “80% of those we welcome arrive by car from Thessaloniki,” he elaborates, “mostly families with children.” They stay three to seven nights, combining a day in Ioannina and often continue to Tsumerka, Konitsa, Metsovo and even Meteora. “They love outdoor activities, rafting, hiking,” he says revealingly. “Mostly they come from April to the end of October, that is, at a time when the Greeks do not prefer us,” he notes, “because of the coronavirus, but we also had Israeli arrivals, and Christmas, and winter in general.” And he adds: “As I speak now, 50% of my beds are occupied by Israelis.” The President of the Association of Hoteliers Spyros Surelis does not hide his satisfaction. “The presence of Israeli guests has been stable for ten years both in the hotel complexes of the city and in the wider region,” he emphasizes in “K”.

“Since the day we became a municipal government, we have made the extraversion of the city and its connection to other places as our priority,” Deputy Mayor for Tourism Mr. Yorgos Lolis tells K. “In February 2020, we traveled with the mayor to Tel Aviv to participate in the international tourism exhibition IMTM,” he describes, “where we had a series of meetings with the mayor of the city, the then secretary general of the Ministry of Tourism, tour operators and budget airlines.” As the Greek mission returns to Ioannina, the first lockdown begins. “However, the mayor has been in constant contact with senior Aegean officials throughout this time and has promoted our request for a connection to Tel Aviv, as well as two other destinations of interest to us, Cyprus and Germany.” The Greek airline finally gave the green light and announced the start of docking in October last year – Moises Elisaf managed to find out the good news …

“Our city has been given a decisive prominence through a documentary filmed by the team of the i24 news channel, which broadcasts its program in Hebrew, French, English, Spanish and Arabic and is therefore considered the most influential media for the Jewish people. the US public,” adds Mr. Lolis. At the same time, Yanina’s digital advertising campaign in Israel “works” until the end of June. “Direct communication should be maintained by all of us – departments and citizens,” emphasizes the vice-mayor, “now that the road is open, let’s all help it stay open together.”