Travel giant TUI Group is confident enough in the long-term prospects of Greek tourism that it aims to bring 10 percent more tourists to Greece in 2015 compared to the year before, according to the company’s CEO, Friedrich Joussen.

Mr. Joussen recently hosted a dinner on Rhodes for the island’s local and regional authorities, tourism bodies and Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura. During the dinner, he expressed his support to Greece and estimated that the country’s tourism will be on the up this year.

He also pointed out that TUI is aiming to extend Greece’s tourism season from 180 days to 210 and underlined that Greece remains an authentic destination and a strategic priority for TUI.

On her part, the alternate tourism minister underlined that combating seasonality in Greek tourism is one of the main priorities of the government.

When answering journalists’ questions regarding rumors of new government measures that may affect the sector, Ms. Kountoura stressed that she will not agree to measures which may harm tourism.

Also present at the dinner hosted by Mr. Joussen was the secretary general of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Panos Livadas; the governor of the South Aegean Region, George Chatzimarkos; the mayor of Rhodes, Fotis Hatzidiakos; the chairman of the Rhodes Hoteliers Association, Antonis Kambourakis; the vice governor of tourism for the South Aegean Region, Marieta Vakiani Papavasileiou; and local hoteliers cooperating with TUI Group.