CHRISTOS PETREAS is a Business and Tourism Economist - Advisor, Researcher and Consultant in tourism and regional development, marketing, business re-organization and education and vocational training. He has served as Team Leader and EU Senior Expert for Regional Development and Tourism, in Technical Assistance programmes to governments of various countries primarily in the Balkans; educated in two USA universities, holder of an MBA degree, after working for about 15 years internationally (USA, Europe, Africa), Mr. Petreas is active for the last twenty years as advisor and consultant, based in Athens, in Greece and abroad, both in the public and private sector entities and local government authorities, and has been particularly involved with tourism development, tourism marketing and special interest tourism, SME’s development and European programmes. He has also served for two years as Scientific Advisor – Member of the Cabinet of the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Greece. His academic activities include 4 years teaching “Tourism Planning and Development” (Tourism Department at the University of Hertfordshire, Tourism Department – Athens Branch), 2 years teaching Tourism Marketing (Post-Graduate Programme in Tourism, Hellenic Open University), 5 years teaching Management (Athens College Programme for Adult Education). Among more than 70 studies related to the tourism sector (more than 100 overall), he has been particularly interested in tourism strategy and marketing, the development of special interest tourism activities, tourism destination quality, cultural, religious, sport and maritime tourism, and has coordinated many extensive tourism field researches. He has authored or edited, in Greek and English, 5 books and 4 business manuals, 5 chapter contributions in books, many scientific papers and over 50 published articles. He is a member (among others) of ATLAS, Association for Tourism and Leisure Education, of the Economic Chamber of Greece, of the Panel of Experts for the World Tourism Barometer of the UNWTO, Member of the Board of the Hellenic Speleological Society, Member of the Board of the Institute for International and Hellenic Sports Law, Member of the Synodical Committee for Pilgrimage Tours and Development of Religious Tourism of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.