Greece’s tourism industry is expected to post growth this year, Greek Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura said on Tuesday during a press conference in Athens.

With the sale of a majority stake in the Port of Piraeus to Chinese shipping giant Cosco at the center of talks, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras sealed on Monday a number of deals with Chinese officials during his five-day visit this week to Beijing and Shanghai, aiming to garner investment support.

Greece is entering a new phase, having left a long period of crisis and uncertainty behind it, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Monday, while addressing a Greek and Chinese business forum in Beijing. Greece and China must strengthen their ties of friendship and cooperation during this new hopeful period for the Greek economy, he said.