ATHENS, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Greek twins, Marianna and Sofia Erotokritou, were formally appointed "Ambassadors of Greek Tourism in China" in acknowledgement of their efforts to promote Greece in China, the Greek Tourism Ministry said on Thursday.

The twins, who have been living and studying in China since 2013, have taken many initiatives to boost Sino-Greek friendship.

They have produced several tourist videos in Chinese about Greece's destinations, culture and way of life, attracting in some cases over one million views on Chinese social media. They also teach the Greek language online to 2,000 students, according to an e-mailed statement from the ministry.

Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis made the decision as part of efforts to strengthen Greece's image abroad, also on the occasion of the Greece-China Year of Culture and Tourism 2021, which aims to deepen Sino-Greek cooperation, read the statement.

The honorary title of "Greek Tourism Ambassadors" is awarded to the two young women for a period of two years with the possibility of renewal.

Under their new role, the twins will help promote thematic forms of tourism, like gastronomic tourism, through social media and other digital media, and will be participating in events related to the Chinese tourism market.

Last year, Marianna and Sofia Erotokritou donated to Greek authorities about 10,000 protective face masks they purchased with the help of their Chinese followers on social media who wanted to assist Greece in the battle against COVID-19. Enditem