Two emblematic investments in the so-called “Athens Riviera”, the coastline extending roughly from Neo Faliro southeast all the way to renowned Cape Sounion, will have a significant impact on the recovering Greek economy, two top corporate executives and a former tourism general secretary emphasized this month.
In a wide-ranging discussion on the sidelines of the annual Delphi forum earlier this month, Mario Kontomerkos, the CEO of Con
For instance, construction and operation of Europe’s first integrated casino resort (IRC) at the Helleniko concession has raised expectations of attracting up to 10 million visitors a year, they noted. The gaming concession within the overall Helleniko project is judged as imperative for the entire seven-billion-euro investment to proceed, something that the Lamda Development-led consortium that won an international tender for the site has repeatedly emphasized.
In a direct reference to Helleniko, MGE CEO Kontomerkos said implementation of the massive investment would place the Greek capital at the “center of the world”.
His casino and gaming multinational is one of several international companies that have expressed an interest in the Helleniko IRC, itself a “cornerstone” provision in the overall concession contract.
Kontomerkos reminded that Athens is, on average, only a two-hour flight away from 19 countries that correspond to 6 percent of the world’s population, but with 25 percent of the global GDP.
He pointed to examples in Singapore as a model for integrated gaming resorts, such as the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, which boosted tourist arrivals to the SE Asia island state by 40 percent.
“With Athens’ position, its excellent infrastructure, next to the sea and 20 minutes away from the airport, we have the opportunity to promote this destination to our 30 million customers,” he stressed.
