The Rhodes Tourism Promotion Organization (PROTOUR) – a exemplary and innovative assemblage that agreed section stakeholders and made a important publication to the tourism improvement of Rhodes – celebrates 30 years since its establishment. This important milestone was the juncture for the Municipality of Rhodes and the existent PROTOUR Administration to signifier an day lawsuit nether the motto:
“Love for Rhodes – Respect for the Past – Responsibility for the Future.”
On the evening of Friday, October 3rd, astatine the Rhodes Casino, this commemorative lawsuit served arsenic a tribute to the journey, the work, and the bequest of the Organization. The decisive publication of the pioneers of Rhodes tourism was emphatically highlighted, on with the radical of section authorities and the entities that collaborated to found the island’s planetary tourism individuality and unafraid Rhodes’ spot among the apical tourer destinations successful the world.
The evening included a retrospective of PROTOUR’s 30-year travel and achievements, arsenic good arsenic honorary awards to the founding members of PROTOUR who laid the foundations for this historical path.
It was 1 of those uncommon moments wherever radical who near an indelible people connected the “tourism miracle” of Rhodes came unneurotic successful 1 spot — visionaries and pioneers of PROTOUR alongside those continuing their efforts today, warring for the changeless improvement, promotion, and sustainable improvement of Rhodes tourism.
There was peculiar emotion during the notation and honorary remembrance of those who are nary longer with america — past members and executives of PROTOUR whose contributions shaped the Organization’s path. As a motion of respect and gratitude, a infinitesimal of soundlessness was observed successful their memory.
In his speech, the Mayor of Rhodes, Alexandros Koliadis, emphasized PROTOUR’s enduring publication to tourism development, praised those who served the institution, and underlined the captious relation it tin proceed to play successful the contiguous and aboriginal of Rhodes tourism. Mr. Koliadis said:
“Today we observe 30 years of PROTOUR and 30 years of publication to Rhodes tourism. It each began successful 1996, with then-Mayor Giorgos Giannopoulos, who recognized the request and agreed the efforts of section authorities members, institutions, and entrepreneurs to make an enactment that gave Rhodes a unified voice. Every municipal authorization since past has supported this exemplary organization. Hadzis Hatziefthymiou, Stathis Kousournas, the precocious Fotis Hatzidiakos, and Antonis Kampourakis – each near their ain mark.
Let maine instrumentality a infinitesimal to notation to Fotis Hatzidiakos, from whom I inherited the presidency. He contributed greatly to PROTOUR arsenic president, and to our land successful general. We retrieve him ever with respect. For me, it was some an grant and a work to proceed his work.
Not everyone is present tonight. Some radical who worked hard for PROTOUR and offered truthful overmuch to our land are missing. We bash not hide them. I besides privation to notation the precocious Charalambos Palogiannidis. As Director, helium was the psyche of PROTOUR. He ever recovered solutions to problems and worked with integrity and devotion. He knew however to collaborate with everyone, ever aiming for the bully of Rhodes. We retrieve him with gratitude.
The precocious Giorgos Karagiannis besides played a cardinal role, supporting the inaugural from the commencement arsenic President of the Chamber of Commerce.”
He past referred to his ain word arsenic President of the Organization, noting that PROTOUR tin inactive service arsenic a invaluable instrumentality for the improvement of Rhodes tourism by addressing today’s needs and challenges. He stated:
“Personally, I served arsenic President during the word of Mayor Antonis Kampourakis, and I retrieve our information successful tourism exhibitions, hosting overseas journalists connected our island, and overmuch more. We were a agreed team, and I felt the existent meaning of collaboration and the powerfulness of speaking with 1 unified voice. These experiences inactive enactment with maine today.
PROTOUR has ever had presidents and boards that worked with work and dedication – each near their ain imprint. Today, the President is Giorgos Toppos, who represents the caller procreation of tourism professionals connected our island. I privation to convey each PROTOUR unit who enactment regular to support the enactment alive. Thirty years later, it is present our work to proceed what began backmost then, to germinate it, and to springiness the Organization caller perspective. PROTOUR is our instrumentality for the aboriginal — to support tourism strong, to enactment our community, and to support Rhodes astatine the top.”
Honorary plaques to founding members and aboriginal staff
After the mayor’s speech, the day lawsuit concluded with the presumption of honorary plaques to the founding members and archetypal executives of PROTOUR (or to the relatives of those who person passed away). Specifically, plaques were awarded to:
Giorgos Giannopoulos, Vassos Minaidis, Georgios Karagiannis (deceased), Ioannis Iatridis, Nikolaos Tsikkis (deceased), Simos Paraskevas (deceased), Kalliopi Machrama, Georgios Mantalis, Konstantinos Skandalidis, Loukas Kanakis, Vasileios Kritikos (deceased), Stergos Koukias (deceased), Kyriakos Finas (deceased), Dimitrios Zannetoulis, Philemon Karikis, Efstathios Vassilakis (deceased), Andreas Karagiannis (deceased), Tsampikos Moschatos, Stefanos Dimitras (deceased), Konstantinos Ntouvis, Stergos Kyprios, Ioannis Manolas, Ioannis Giannakakis, Georgios Katsikandai (deceased), Miltiadis Logothetis, Charalambos Palogiannidis (deceased), and Giannis Fotis.
Attendees of the event
The lawsuit was honored by the beingness of:
His Grace Bishop of Olympos, Kyrillos
Father Loukas, typical of the Catholic Archdiocese successful Rhodes
Rhodes Imam, Hasan Kara Ali
Former Deputy Minister and Dodecanese MP, Manos Konsolas
Former Deputy Minister and Dodecanese MP, Giorgos Nikitiadis
Dean of Parliament and Dodecanese MP, Vasilis Ypsilantis
Regional Vice Governor of Culture, President of the Dodecanese Association of Travel Agencies, and Secretary General of the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce, Christos Michalakis
Commander of the 95th Higher National Guard Battalions Command (95 ADTE), Major General Spyros Kogiannis
Chief of the 1st Police Directorate of the Dodecanese, Brigadier General Konstantinos Souliotis
Deputy Port Authority Chief of Rhodes, Commander Theodoros Paralemos
Former MP and erstwhile Mayor of Rhodes, Stathis Kousournas
President of the Municipal Council of Rhodes, Kyriakos Kassapis
Deputy Mayor of Tourism, Culture, and President of PROTOUR, Giorgos Toppos
Deputy Mayor of Lindos, Nikos Pavlakidis
Deputy Mayor of Communications, Giorgos Pattas
President of DERM.AE., Valantis Lampis
President of the Municipal Port Fund of South Dodecanese, Vasilis Vayiannakis
President of the Museum of Modern Greek Art of the Municipality of Rhodes and President of the Rhodes Municipal Community, Sousana Kardoulia
Head of the main absorption successful the Municipal Council of Rhodes and erstwhile Mayor, Antonis Kampourakis
Head of the determination enactment “Open Horizons successful the South Aegean,” Chrysa Karagianni
CEO of PROTOUR, Anastasios Konstantaros
General Director of PROTOUR, Dionysis Tsiligiris
Representative of the Rhodes Hotel Association, Pantelis Kostaridis
President of the Rhodes Trade Association, Kostas Spanos
President of the Dodecanese Hotel Managers Association, Giorgos Matsingos
Vice Rector of the University of the Aegean, Ioannis Seimenis
Mrs. Agapi Hatzidiakou, woman of the precocious Mayor Fotis Hatzidiakos
Former mayors, representatives of section institutions, and members of the Security Forces.
Messages of greeting were sent by:
Dodecanese MP Mika Iatridi
MP and erstwhile EU Commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos
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