Nikos Daskalantonakis, Founder and President of Grecotel, was bestowed the title of Honorary Citizen of Alexandroupolis, unanimously by the Municipal Council of the city, on Wednesday 16th of January. The Mayor of Alexandroupolis, Evangelos Lampakis, has honoured Nikos Daskalantonakis with the title of Honorary Citizen in the presence of local authorities and important guests, acknowledging “his long and valuable contribution to the tourist and economic development of Alexandroupolis and of Greece”.
 

Under the decision, n. 648/2018, of the Alexandroupolis City Council, which was read by its President, Konstantinos Gotsidis, the Municipality honored the socio-economic contribution, the role of the development of the hotel sector in the region and the creation of jobs, as well as the benefits that derive from the business activities of the Nikos Daskalantonakis Group - Grecotel.
 

In their short addresses, the District Governor, Metios Christos, the Army Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Cambas Georgios and the 16-year-old Mayor of Larissa, Konstantinos Tzanakoulis, referred to the offer of Mr. Daskalantonakis to the tourist development industry and the importance of his investments in areas with national interest. On the same note, the Mayor of Rethymno, Giorgos Marinakis sent a Congratulatory Letter on the initiative of the Municipality of Alexandroupolis.
 

In his speech, Mr. Nikos Daskalantonakis thanked the citizens of Alexandroupolis first of all for the honor bestowed to him: “Two decades have past since the day I decided to invest in your beautiful city. I have never imagined that a moment will come when the people of this beautiful city would offer me the highest honor of declaring me an Honorable Citizen of Alexandroupolis”.
 

He then pointed out that “I am a frontier man as you are, and I am proud of Thrace and Alexandroupolis because they are an important ecological and cultural reserve that all Greeks must recognize by paying a visit. With the investment of 32 million euros in hotels in Alexandroupolis and with a turnover of up to 57 million euros, the compass of Grecotel consistently shows this area as an example of investment and belief in the region's development potential.”
 

In conclusion, Mr. Daskalantonakis added that: ““Another reason, for which I am particularly proud, is that all the workers come from this area, a fact which proves my confidence in the local human resources.”
 

Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, an honorary meal was served at the Grecotel Astir * Egnatia Alexandroupolis   with the attendance of important personalities of the region, city council members, the business and the university community, along with media representatives, agencies and organizations.
 

Finally, on the sidelines of the event, the Cretan Association of Alexandroupolis, "Minos", handed over a memorial plaque to Mr. Nikos Daskalandonakis and declared him an honorary member.