Kyriakou D., Vellisariou E., Belias D. (2016). « Shopping Tourism as a promising future for Greek Tourism? ». International Scientific Conference eRA – 11, Piraeus, Greece, - September 2015.

“One of the most used tools in the promotion of destinations” this is how Shopping Tourism was described at the opening of the 2nd Conference on this segment, organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on the occasion of the Spanish Tourism Fair (FITUR) (22 January 2016). Shopping Tourism “is a highly relevant component for travelers when choosing and preparing their trip” underlined Yolanda Perdomo, Director of the Affiliate Members Program at UNWTO. As stated by Taleb Rifai UNWTO Secretary-General in 2014, shopping is becoming an increasingly relevant component of the tourism value chain. Shopping has converted into a determinant factor affecting destination choice, an important component of the overall travel experience and, in some cases the prime travel motivation. Destinations have an immense opportunity to leverage this new market trend by developing authentic and unique shopping experiences that add value to their touristic offer while reinforcing, and even, defining their tourism brand and positioning (UNWTO, 2014). Therefore, should Greek tourism policy - makers and strategists set policies to achieve double-digit growth in the sector in Greece as well as generate know-how in relation to the efficient management of the new shopping tourism concept and the economic opportunities it represents? Moreover, should tourism professionals, both private and public, create a benchmark for shopping tourism in Greece, combine the offer of cities with the power of attraction of major brands and the management capacity of a high added-value tourism segment and establish collaboration synergies between the different public and private agents involved as drivers of the economy? Keywords: Destination Branding, Shopping Tourism, Tourism Planning, Experiential Tourism, Consumer Behavior JEL: M31, L83