American-Hellenic Chamber: Americans are interested in tourism, energy investment

The executive director of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce Elias Spirtounias said there is undiminished investment interest by American firms in Greece.

The executive director of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce Elias Spirtounias said there is undiminished investment interest by American firms in Greece. Apart from the interest in tourism, he added, there was information that a major investment in wind energy was about to be announced in Greece, which will be among the largest in the region. Talking to AMNA, Spirtounias said that Greece could not only become an energy hub but also a force in power production, which will create major investment opportunities.

US investors have energy production in their sights and new investments will follow, said Spirtounias, whose 10 years at the American-Hellenic Chamber have helped him come into contact with dozens of his counterparts throughout the world, as well as representatives of businesses and agencies.

Despite the worrying developments on a global level, Spirtounias said he was optimistic about Greece and its prospects, while noting the very hopeful messages from tourism, where bookings are close to exceeding the record numbers of 2019 and there are no cancellations. The direct flights now available from many US cities have contributed to this, he noted, while they also indicate the significant interest in Greece. If the country manages to exploit the opportunities created by the Recovery and Resilience Fund, he added, it will be able to hold its own.

He stressed the importance of paying attention to small and medium-sized enterprises in this time of new challenges, noting that larger enterprises tended to have more options. Spirtounias also highlighted the prospects for further developing Greek-US economic relations and the balance of trade, even though these are at a very good level, highlighting the importance of constant strategic updates on the progress made by Greece in various areas and of the presentation of new investment opportunities that arise.

“We must not present Greece as a market of 10 million people but as the centre, the hub, for activity in a wider region whose population potentially reaches as high as 80 million people,” he said.

A video of the interview with Spirtounias is available at: