Ten executives, all under the age of 35, from German travel agencies had the chance to experience firsthand the countless options that Karpathos offers visitors. The trip was a familiarization tour (fam trip) organized by the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) German office, in cooperation with the German foundation for professional travel education, Willy Scharnow, and the Municipality of Karpathos.
According to a related announcement, the fam trip was timed to coincide with the launch of Eurowings’ new direct flights every Tuesday from Düsseldorf to Karpathos, with the main goal of further promoting the destination in the German market and getting it included in vacation packages.
Since 1953, the Willy Scharnow Foundation, working with numerous partners from the travel industry, has expanded professional opportunities for the new generation in tourism, organizing around 60 seminars and educational tours worldwide each year, with the participation of roughly 600 travel agents and tour operator representatives.
Workshop and island tour
As part of the trip, a targeted workshop was held, featuring a presentation of the destination by Karpathos Deputy Mayor for Tourism, Anastasios Milios.
This was followed by an extensive discussion between the participants and the president of the Karpathos Hoteliers Association, Ilias Alexiou, along with other representatives of the island’s tourism sector.
Welcoming remarks were given by the head of GNTO’s German office, Nikoletta Lekanidi, and the representative of the Willy Scharnow Foundation, Heiko Listner, both of whom accompanied the German delegation on the trip.
During their stay on the island, the German travel agents toured Pigadia, the Archaeological Museum of Karpathos, and the building of the Lyceum Club of Greek Women, and also took part in the Karpathos Run 2026 sporting event.
They also visited the mountain village of Olympos, where they experienced its customs and unique cultural traditions, as well as the villages of Aperi, Volada, Otho (with its Folklore Museum), Pyles (with its Rural Museum), Mesochori, Finiki, Arkasa, and Menetes. From the sea, they took in the uniquely beautiful beaches of Apella, Achata, Kyra Panagia, and Kato Lakos.
Finally, they were briefed on the wide range of activities available on the island, such as hiking and water sports, sampled its distinctive cuisine, and inspected hotel facilities in Amoopi and Pigadia.
A German journalist’s tour of Western Greece
At the same time, journalist Sven-Ole Rahn from the leading German newspaper Die Welt traveled to the wider area of Messolonghi and Aitoliko, on a press trip co-organized by GNTO’s German office and the Region of Western Greece.
The itinerary was designed to highlight the area’s many-sided identity, with its unique natural, historical, and cultural heritage, as part of a broader strategy to promote Greece’s alternative and authentic destinations in the German-speaking tourism market.
Specifically, Rahn was given tours of the museum dedicated to sculptor Vaso Katraki, the Folklore Museum, and the Fisheries Museum in Aitoliko, as well as the art gallery and the “Diexodos” Center for Speech and Art. He also learned about Messolonghi’s historical identity through visits to the iconic Garden of Heroes and the “Xenokrateio” Archaeological Museum, which, as part of celebrations marking 200 years since the Exodus, is currently hosting Eugène Delacroix’s historic painting “Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi.”
He also visited the Byronic Society of the Holy City of Messolonghi, which presents the life and work of Lord Byron and the contribution of the Philhellenes to the Greek Revolution.
In addition, working with the organization “Messolonghi by locals,” the German journalist took a boat tour of the lagoon to learn about traditional fishing techniques, and joined a bike ride around the lagoon that included bird watching.
Finally, he visited the modern facilities of a local company producing avgotaracho (Greek bottarga), experienced local gastronomic culture at a traditional distillery and ouzo bar in the city, with an emphasis on Messolonghi’s avgotaracho, ouzo, and lagoon flavors, toured the Salt Museum in Tourlida, and attended festivities for the traditional feast of Agios Simeon.
The in depth feature is set to be published this coming autumn in Die Welt’s Sunday edition, giving a significant boost to Western Greece’s visibility in the German market, as Messolonghi and Aitoliko are promoted as ideal destinations for discerning European travelers seeking authenticity, rich natural surroundings, culture, and quality experiential tourism.
