they are quite nice but can somebody tell why the hell did they change the very good logo??????????????

They seem very professional, but remind me of cellular companies advertisements (cosmote, vodafone etc). They are overly photoshoped to the point of looking fake and as savas said the old logo was far better than this new characterless one.

Well personally my favorite campaign was in 2007, followed closely by 2005.....I am not going to judge the 2008 campaign yet since its not fully released yet. (Videos, I assume more photos too)

It seems Greece has a new Tourism minister, Aris Spiliotopoulos, and he seems to have some new plans.


New Greek tourism minister tables ambitious agenda
Nov 06, 07 | 7:16 am
By Andrew Princz/etn

He is young, he is energetic, his name is Aris Spiliotopoulos, the new tourism minister for Greece. He is youthful, suave and presents an ambitious agenda for his constituency. A feisty yet slight character, his eyes rather glare than look and while some are curious about his plans, others simply wonder if he will be able to push his agenda through. While this description may well sketch the fiery French President Nicolas Sarkozy, here I speak of the recently appointed and ambitious Greek Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos, who has put forward his transformative agenda of this country’s tourism sector last week in opening the Philoxenia International Tourism Fair in the country’s northern city of Thessaloniki.

Spiliotopoulos, who was appointed tourism minister less than two months ago, has obviously had a plan in his back-pocket for some time. Here he pulled it out presenting a notion of what his national tourism policy will look like in the course of his term in office.

“My plans can only fly if society embraces our efforts,” said a determined Spiliotopoulos, “The notion that the Greeks are the waiters of Europe is obsolete. We need to promote the current image of a modern Greece.”

Tourism in Greece employs over 850,000, and contributes some 1.5 billion euros annually to the local economy. The new ministry plan will reorganize Greek representation offices and target growing markets such as China, India and South Africa. Further efforts will be devoted to attracting more visitors from neighboring Balkan states Poland and Russia.

His multi-pronged program is axed on the key concepts of improving quality, entrepreneurship and promotion and advertising of the Greek tourism sector. He is also suggesting the development of ecological tourism, green investment and bringing Greece in the digital age with its marketing efforts.

”Buyers are on their computer screens and visitors and tourists alike are not just going to materialize. We must be able to win them over in order to become visitors,” Spiliotopoulos emphasized, “since one-third of people today buy tourism products through new media; our objective is investing in this new media. We want to win the creative class over to us.”

Under the minister’s plan, traditional advertising campaigns will now be bolstered by indirect advertising, promotional campaigns, and vigorous international public relations drives using both traditional and new media.

Analysts say, however, that making strategic changes within the ministry itself will not be easy. Travel and marketing consultant Dimitris Koutoulas said that the government momentarily simply does not have the necessary mechanisms in place to implement new marketing plans.
“What is lacking is an organizational structure since there are no contemporary marketing department inside of the ministry itself,” said Koutoulas, “Even though one of its main tasks is to market the country internationally, it has up to now been done in a very basic way.”

He added, “With the preparation for the first time of a strategic marketing plan, the government will now have a tool in its hands which will allow it to plan strategically.”

The new plan, however, will have to answer queries of some in the Greek tourism sector complain of poor transportation infrastructure, and lack of standardization of the quality of services offered to travelers. The government intends to implement recommendations of a recently undertaken 2.5 million euro marketing study. Koutoulas himself has been working with the city of Thessaloniki in developing a government-backed plan to propose the city as a European city-break destination for low-cost carriers.

“Thessaloniki offers a very attractive bundle of both historic monuments and a vibrant, pulsating, youthful city,” he said. “It is an exciting destination which is largely unknown outside of Greece.”

Koutoulas is banking on the continued desire among Europeans to find new city-break destinations, which have been expanding as fast as the mushrooming of European low-cost airline sector. Plans for making a city-break destination for Greece’s second largest city will be an uphill battle and even the minister himself admits that those plans will not materialize until private airlines begin flying to the city.

The Thessaloniki project is just one of several aimed at promoting lesser-known facets of the country, and shed the image of Greece simply sold as a land of sand, sea and sun. In addition to trying to sell key Greek cities as city-break destinations, the new direction will highlight villages and small towns, mountain climbing, religious tourism or similar concepts not generally associated with Greece. This concept will also extend the tourism season, classically associated with the swarm of summer-time island visitors.

But the bread and butter of the Greek tourism, however, will not change. The majority of inbound tourists will continue to head to Greek seaside resorts and islands. Koutoulas said that it will be the strategy of selling their tourism product that will be altered. The very specific character of the islands will be highlighted, each developed based on its own culture and heritage, experiences that many visitors were not able to discover when spending their entire vacation by the pool or by the beach.

“Greece will launch a specialized, forward looking campaign within and outside Greece,” said Spiliotopoulos. “We have to break free of unidirectional notions of sand, sea and sun. We have to look towards more open tourism model so that we can sell for more months of the year. We have to act like a mega-brand, and create this image.”

Andrew Princz is a travel writer who has visited over forty countries and has consulted various governments on country tourism and culture awareness projects. Andrew has authored tour guides and travel stories, and publishes the travel and culture portal ontheglobe.com

http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=12890_0_1_0_M

they are quite nice but can somebody tell why the hell did they change the very good logo??????????????

Savas,are you referring to the wave /ionic capital logo?

I don't really understand the new logo yet, but it appears clean, crisp and easy on the eye....

Its more corporate and directed at a particular demograhic, I guess.

Savas,are you referring to the wave /ionic capital logo?

I don't really understand the new logo yet, but it appears clean, crisp and easy on the eye....

Its more corporate and directed at a particular demograhic, I guess.

Yes. As MetroGuardian said it looks like a new Hellenic Telecom logo or like one of the thousands logos for the IT industry. No charakter, no charme.. There is absolutely nothing greek about it..

old one
http://www.athenscity.gr/EOT_LOGO_%20%20OKresized.jpg

new one
http://www.visitgreece.gr/images/eot_logo_2.gif

they could have atleast used more colors. Wheres is the warmth of the sun or the hot sand under yout feet? I like modern logos a lot but this one... perhaps it will grow on me with the time

On the other hand i like the fact the we have such a young minister and i like the visions and energy of Aris Spiliotopoulos. I have a serious suspicion that the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism will get a great new website very soon...

On the other hand i like the fact the we have such a young minister and i like the visions and energy of Aris Spiliotopoulos. I have a serious suspicion that the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism will get a great new website very soon...

Most likely there will be a new site. In another article at http://www.airflights.co.uk/news/category/438004671/story/18344669, he mentions during his speech:


Mr Spiliotopoulos also emphasized the importance of the Internet in modern travel and said that the power of the worldwide web had to be harnessed for Greece to effectively promote itself to potential visitors.


I hope there will be a new site, since the current one isn't that great....:bash:

It would be great if they could get some advertising on the web, especially on travel sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, ect.

Yes. As MetroGuardian said it looks like a new Hellenic Telecom logo or like one of the thousands logos for the IT industry. No charakter, no charme.. There is absolutely nothing greek about it..

old one
http://www.athenscity.gr/EOT_LOGO_%20%20OKresized.jpg

new one
http://www.visitgreece.gr/images/eot_logo_2.gif

they could have atleast used more colors. Wheres is the warmth of the sun or the hot sand under yout feet? I like modern logos a lot but this one... perhaps it will grow on me with the time

On the other hand i like the fact the we have such a young minister and i like the visions and energy of Aris Spiliotopoulos. I have a serious suspicion that the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism will get a great new website very soon...


No that you mention it.....

After comparing the both logos......I'm begining to see your point of view.

Don't know why they dropped the "Wonderful Greece" caption....

Wasn't this registered as a Trade Mark or something ?

:2cents:

I'm gonna go against the tide here: I actually like the new logo better than the old one. Don't get me wrong. The old logo was lovely. But the new one, I think, better fits our goals for the future of Greece's tourism industry.

To me:

The old logo says: "Look at me! I have sea and sun! Come and visit me!!"

The new logo says: "I'm experienced. I have a well-established tourism/hospitality industry".

I think the first one is more fitting for a country newer to the tourism industry. The second one is more fitting for Greece, one of the world's top 20 tourism destinations.

I agree with you guys that the new logo is kind of dry. But I think we were due for a change. I never particularly liked the word "wonderful" in the old logo. And I'm sort of glad they did away with the usual cliches: like sun-and-sea, or references to mythology or the classical era. (If only Olympic Airlines can follow this example!!) None of the other Southern European countries use sun and sea in their logo. Everyone in Europe already knows Greece has sea and sun...and EOT does a great job communicating this in its advertisements. Additionally, people from Asia and North America will not travel this entire distance only for sea and sun; long-distance tourists come primarily for culture and history. I don't see the need to incorporate sea and sun into the logo; we're looking to sell more than just Greece's sea and sun. We're also looking to sell Greece's nature, Greece's cultural and architectural attractions, Greece's nightlife, and much more. The new logo will go on all these advertisements.

Also, on the adverts, I love the fact that there's a small map of Greece, indicating where in Greece that picture is from. Spain's adverts do this too.

Now, I'm a long-time critic of EOT/GNTO...but for the first time, I'm actually optimistic about the direction EOT is headed in. I love Spiliotopoulos' ideas. Actually, I've always liked this guy. He's young (born 1966...only 41 years old)...and does not belong to the "Polytechnio generation" (as someone called them in another thread...which I think is the perfect term for our parents' generation). He seems more in touch with today's generation. His way of thinking is on the same wavelength as ours. I noticed that one of his ideas is making Thessaloníki a city-break destination, just as we were discussing for Athens. I love Thessaloníki, and I do believe that he's on to something. I love the new proposed ways to advertise: indirect advertisement, promotion, PR campaigns....all the same things we discussed in the Athens Tourism thread. Of course, there's a lot of work to do, but just as travel consultant Koutoulas says: there's a lot of work to do, but it can be done.

Koutoulas also says something that we discussed in the Athens Tourism thread: Europeans' continued desire to find new city-break destinations. Everyone's already been to London, Rome, and Paris. :cheers:

Anyways...you guys decide!

Here's various logos from around the world:

Spain

http://www.eventia.org.uk/editor/images/oysters/spain_logo.jpg
This one has been in use for a very long time now. It's classic, it's timeless, and I've always loved it. It really fits Spain.


Italy

old one:
http://www.clubtoscana.com/1_italia_logo.gif

new one (sorry for the huge picture):
http://dottourism.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/italy-tourism-logo.png
I never liked either of these.


France

old one:
http://fr.franceguide.com/GetV4FO/Images/0/Maison-de-la-France/Maison-de-la-France.gif

new one:
http://www.ram2005.equipement.gouv.fr/IMG/gif/bienvenueenfrance_cle25aa55.gif
The old one is still used: it's used primarily as the "corporate logo" for France's tourism bureau. The new logo is used for the actual product that they're promoting: the country of France. I love the new logo (reminds me of the Athens 2004 logo in a way). "Bienvenue en France" means "Welcome to France". They're trying to promote the country's warm hospitality, to combat the old (and undeserved) stereotype that the French are rude.


Bahamas

http://www.bahamas.com/assets/global/error_logo.gif
I love this logo. The logo is actually an abstract representation of the country's geographical shape. Each colored figure represents one of the many Bahamian islands.


Portugal
http://www.portugaloffice.org.uk/graphics/new_logo.gif
This is cute. The logo is a play on the Portuguese flag. There's a double meaning: it looks like a person raising his arms, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to represent something else too.


Britain
http://www.visitwestberkshire.org.uk/media/image/s/h/VB_logo_100_thumbnail.jpg
It's cute, but it's starting to look a little dated to me (too 1990s).


Canada

http://www.explore.canada.travel/ctc/images/logo_en_CA.gif
Canada has gone through quite a few logos. This is the most recent one; I like it better than any of the old ones. Canadian logos tend to be simple. This one is simple too, but it's nice and gets the point across.


Austria

http://www.austriatourism.com/scms/media.php/8962/Ticket_p.gif
Kind of nice, but I'm not too crazy about this logo.


Mexico

http://www.travelmextours.com/images/mexico-logo2.jpg
This is a cute logo. The colors and fonts really fit Mexico.


Thailand

http://www.tourismthailand.org/images/logo_amazingthailand.gif
I'm not quite sure, but I think Thailand has two logos, like France. One for the tourism bureau, and one for the product itself. I think this logo is for the latter. I found it on Thailand's tourism website, and it looks like it's new. Reminds me of the old Greek one: "Amazing Thailand" "Wonderful Greece".


Japan

http://www.traveltalkradio.com/images/japan_logo_nl_06.jpg
Now, unlike Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Thailand, Canada, Mexico, Austria, and Britain....Japan is not in the top 20 tourism destinations. (And some of the top 20 tourism destinations, like China and the USA, don't have a tourism logo.) Nor is tourism a major industry in Japan (like it is in the Bahamas). Japan's tourism logo is kind of cute. It's a play on both the country's geographic shape, and flag, as well as -perhaps- traditional Japanese art/caligraphy. It looks like -maybe- they're trying to portray a more "relaxed" Japan, in order -perhaps- to combat the overworked stereotype (which is based on some truth, but not completely accurate).

Here is the new logo with a white background:

http://www.eot.gr/EmentorImages/Image/campaign/2008/eot_logo_en_s.jpg

And regarding "selling Greece's nature", here is another article from the same event that goes more into that part:


Greek tourism goes ‘green’
Nov 09, 07 | 9:29 am
By Makedonia Koutsoumpeli l eTN Greece

Greece is keen on implementing tourism measures that would be environmentally- friendly.
Greece’s Ministry of Tourism officially announced a new initiative promoting the country’s “Green tourism,” as part of a national strategic plan for tourism development over the next years.

This development comes two months after the catastrophic fires that afflicted regions all over the country, especially the western Peloponnese and the area near Ancient Olympia.

Greek Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos, who spoke at the recently-held 23rd International Tourism Exhibition Philoxenia, said that the country’s tourism ministry will devise a pilot program for tourism development for the whole country based on protection of the environment. According to him, environmentally-friendly tourist facilities and infrastructures will be developed.

The pilot program exploring the potential of such an effort will start with the Tourism Development Company (ETA) facilities in northern Greece, putting the tourism state property to good use.

Under the “green plan,” eco-campings, eco-marinas, mountain-hiking and walking tours, to name just a few, will be created, while holistic forms of tourism that are compatible with the environment (such us tourism villages and environmental friendly tourist accommodations), more effective waste management and a widespread use of alternative energy sources for use by tourist will be promoted.

According to Mr. Spiliotopoulos, “whatever the blend of tourist policy is, the ultimate success lies in two indispensable ingredients--the natural and cultural environment.”

In addition to adopting green tourism measure, the country’s new tourism model is being aimed directly at prioritizing Greece’s new key position as a preferred tourist destination, with quality being a top priority as well as advertising and promotion (including a digital technology strategy targeting tourism), and investments and business ventures.

Meanwhile, this year’s edition of the Philoxenia meet saw 803 exhibitors, with 690 of the total number being Greek and 113 from 30 countries such as Bulgaria, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Maldives, Netherlands, Portugal , Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Uzbekistan.
http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=12922_0_1_0_M

they are quite nice but can somebody tell why the hell did they change the very good logo??????????????Because probably someone's son in the ministry is studying art designing, and apparently is not good at it but since when this is a criterion for Greek government? And I totally agree with MetroGardian that the posters look over-retouched. On the positive side they could have been much worse or even not have been published at all.

Η Ελλάδα στοχεύει στους τουρίστες του Σαββατοκύριακου
Άρθρο (http://tovima.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=B&f=15219&m=D11&aa=1)

The GNTO website needs to be much better and more user friendly. An example is the video component. The Menoume Ellada videos are great but are only in Greek. Why not have them dubbed or offer subtitles.
An interactive map of Greece would also make it easy to organise a trip. I am planning a world trip for my family in two years and it would be great if you could choose the destinations on a map and make up an itinerary and just book it or send it to your travel agent saying this is where we want to go.
Even make suggestions that appeal to the different Greek experiences eg. Historical/Classical Greek trip can encompass the great archaelogical sites or An island experience, A mainland experience, Eco tourist trip with links.

I will say though that I am impressed with the efforts to make Greece a more modern tourist destination. However, remember that sea and historical sites still make up a large part of the country's appeal.

The GNTO website needs to be much better and more user friendly. An example is the video component. The Menoume Ellada videos are great but are only in Greek. Why not have them dubbed or offer subtitles.
An interactive map of Greece would also make it easy to organise a trip.


I'm pretty sure they'll make all these changes to the website. The current layout of the website is very old, actually. The website hasn't been changed for a few years. I'm sure that updating and changing the website is in the plans. (Or, at least, I hope!) For now, they just changed the logo.

I LOVE the new logo!
It looks very straight to the point and no messing around, no need to tell people Greece is a sun-sea destination.

Yes, it is so straight that it looks dead.

The graphic of the new logo doesn't say anything about Greece. What does a halo of dots represent? Aside from the blue color, It has no realation and means nothing. Usually, a well designed logo suggests some property of the thing it represents, but this is just totally arbitrary...as if no thought was invested. Even the font is boring and the logo looks STIFF and dead.

About the sun-sea thing...I disagree that the majority of people outside of Europe know anything about the beaches of Greece, or even the climate. You would be very surprised. In America, for example, I can talk to very intelligent and educated people who have no idea that Greece is known for beaches. You guys have to understand, we are close to other very famous beach destinations in Central and South America. Actually, what every person knows about distant Greece is the history and images of ancient columns, not the "sun and sea". When I show pictures of beaches in Greece they are surprised unless they have already been there or to a similar geography in the Mediterranean. Europeans know Greece because it is a sun-sea destination in their own backyard, most Americans would have NO clue about that. They imagine Greece as cold as any other "European" country; according to them, beaches are what you find in the Caribbean or South Pacific. So, don't be so confident that people outside of Australia or Europe know these things!

About the sun-sea thing...I disagree that the majority of people outside of Europe know anything about the beaches of Greece, or even the climate. You would be very surprised. In America, for example, I can talk to very intelligent and educated people who have no idea that Greece is known for beaches. You guys have to understand, we are close to other very famous beach destinations in Central and South America.

I think in the 2007 thread there was a discussion about the target people for Greece's tourism (about advertising) if I remember correctly, and it was said that its Europe. Most people in Europe know about the beaches of Greece.

It was said that most Americans and others wanting sun and sea have alot more closer destinations to visit. And according to some new articles, it looks like Greece is trying to attract visitors for other things than just sun and sea.

^^ Believe me, I can write a book on American misconceptions of Greece.

Personally, I can't say Americans I know or have met, ever assumed that Greece had a "cold" climate similar to northern Europe or the northern USA. Maybe they assume it, and they don't say it. Perhaps that would explain their surprise when I mention that Greece is like California (when they ask me what the climate is like in Greece). On the other hand, I have met a few Americans who were under the impression that Greece is tropical.

There is a huge variety of misconceptions, but you're right that people outside Europe don't know as much about Greece as we expect them to.

However, Greece is known as a sun and sea destination throughout Europe, both to our traditional markets that we want to keep (Germany, Britain, Netherlands, France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, etc), as well as new markets (Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, etc).

I agree that some Greeks are under the impression that Americans know about Greece's climate and coastline. And even if Americans did know Greece as well as the Britons do, most Americans will not travel all that distance just for sea and sun, when they could very well visit their own "backyard" (Mexico, Carribean), or even their own country (Florida in the winter; California, Carolinas, New England in the summer). Likewise, Japanese will just go to Guam or Hawaii.

I think that both EOT and everyone here at Hellenic Agora are aware that it wouldn't make sense to emphasize Greece as a sun-and-sea destination outside Europe. However, some wealthier Americans, Canadians, and Japanese will come just for that reason. No, not in the millions...but maybe an additional 50 thousand Americans who are interested in resorts, golfing, expensive hotels in Oia, Santorini, and the like. This is why -I believe- Greece needs to sell itself not as jus a sun-and-sea destination, but as a complete package which includes that, as well as cultural attractions and many other things.

Yes, it is so straight that it looks dead.

The graphic of the new logo doesn't say anything about Greece. What does a halo of dots represent? Aside from the blue color, It has no realation and means nothing. Usually, a well designed logo suggests some property of the thing it represents, but this is just totally arbitrary...as if no thought was invested. Even the font is boring and the logo looks STIFF and dead.

About the sun-sea thing...I disagree that the majority of people outside of Europe know anything about the beaches of Greece, or even the climate. You would be very surprised. In America, for example, I can talk to very intelligent and educated people who have no idea that Greece is known for beaches. You guys have to understand, we are close to other very famous beach destinations in Central and South America. Actually, what every person knows about distant Greece is the history and images of ancient columns, not the "sun and sea". When I show pictures of beaches in Greece they are surprised unless they have already been there or to a similar geography in the Mediterranean. Europeans know Greece because it is a sun-sea destination in their own backyard, most Americans would have NO clue about that. They imagine Greece as cold as any other "European" country; according to them, beaches are what you find in the Caribbean or South Pacific. So, don't be so confident that people outside of Australia or Europe know these things!

I didn't expect that Americans wouldn't even know that Greece is a warm "beach" country.
In any case, the logo is simple and modern and the font is great.

There isn't much in the logo anyway, especially when its placed on a poster that shows a summer beach. I think people need to stop complaining about the smallest little things.

Greek stand at the recent WTM in London, my photo :cheers:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/869/resizeofrotationofwtm48km6.jpg

^^

Thanks Mic!

Greece, China to start direct flights

Wed Nov 21, 9:33 AM ET

ATHENS, Greece - Greece and China are to be linked by direct commercial flights starting next week, Air China has announced.

China's state-run carrier will begin operating twice-weekly services between Athens and Beijing on Nov. 28 with a flight out of the Chinese capital. It marks the first direct air service between the Olympic Games host cities for 2004 and 2008 respectively.

Boeing 762 aircraft will be used, with a seating capacity of 213. Total flying time will be 13 hours and 50 minutes, Air China representatives said Wednesday.

Each flight will stop over in Dubai.

Departures from Athens will be on Monday and Thursday mornings, arriving in Beijing early the following day. Return flights from Beijing will depart Wednesday and Sunday evenings, with arrival early the next morning.

The flights are expected to boost tourism as well as business travel between the two countries, both considered growth markets for the other. The two countries are also promoting cooperation between travel agencies, along with joint cultural exchanges and Olympic promotion.

Air China, whose hub is Beijing, serves 40 foreign destinations and already flies to other European cities including Paris, London, Rome, Frankfurt, Madrid and Stockholm.

I thought these flights started in September? And I also remember reading that if the flights are a success, they have the option to drop the Dubai stop.

Well I just found a VERY interesting article with Spiliotopoulos talking about the 2008 promotional campaign and the new Greek image. He mentions exactly what we are talking about here, the "sun and sea" image. Read below:

New model for tourism growth targeted
24 November 2007 - Issue : 757

The creation of a modern, effective and attractive model of development for the country is the target of the tourism development ministry’s leadership, ANA quoted Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos in an interview, adding that the ministry’s immediate priorities are a new international promotional campaign for Greece, and the adoption of a “new image” for the country abroad, and also noting that forecasts for 2008 were optimistic.

He said this was an ambitious wager, “as every wager should be, where a vision of national importance depends.” Asked what the ministry’s immediate priorities were, and what its first legislative initiatives would be, Spiliotopoulos said the immediate priorities were based on two levels. The first concerned the country’s new promotional campaign for 2008, while the second concerned the adoption of a new image of Greece. “And I’m not talking about the unequivocal ‘sun and sea’ model, which is an outdated cliche any way you look at it. I’m talking about the international identity today of Greece, a country with so many images and contrasts, a land where every visitor can live a true experience. In other words, I’m talking about aesthetics; the new aesthetics that overcome unequivocal models and outdated cliches,” he explained.

To a question on whether there would be emphasis on specific markets in the new promotional campaign abroad, and if so what kinds of advertisement would be selected, Spiliotopoulos said the ministry was interested in all the markets, but given the effort to reach the largest number of prospective visitors on the budget it had, it would mainly target the so-called ‘creative class’, which comprises 10 percent of travellers who seek new, real experiences. Consequently, it would be investing not only in traditional forms of advertisement but also in new, creative forms, with the internet at the top of the list. There was no doubt, he added, that more people today book their vacations via the internet, and thus the ministry was obliged to promote its product in accordance with the conditions of the times, creatively but also aggressively.

Great news Grk101...direct flights from China will really boost tourism i think...
Thanks for the pic. Mic

Many Americans may not know everything there is to know about Greece, but most of them know about the Greek islands. I have many friends who have done cruises in the Med and stopped at the more popular Greek islands.

But, as I've said before most tourists to Greece are going to come from:

1. Europe (70-80%)
2. Middle East (10 %)
3. China/Japan/Australia (5-10%)
4. North America (balance)

There are too many spots with nice beaches between the US/Canada and Greece to prompt most tourists to fly there. The ones you get are going to be those with the ethnic or family connection, who'll come without too much arm-twisting. And some Americans/Canadians doing the Med Cruise thing. Depreciation of the dollar is also cutting down on Americans going overseas for holiday.

Greece only has so much money to invest in advertising for their Tourism. If I were the Secretary of Tourism in the Greek Cabinet, I'd put most of my advertising in Europe and the Far East. That's where you'll get most of the bang for your buck....errrr...Euro.

I wasn't sure where to put this



Greece lightning
By Ye Jun (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2007-11-30 11:23





As the "China" of Europe, Greece has the most profound culinary arts in the world. Many Greek foods have become icons of classical European fare. Feta cheese, Greek salad, Greek coffee, olive oil, honey and herbs, ouzo and meze, as well as mutton and seafood are all examples of famous food from the country. Greece is known for its high quality produce, which is natural, healthy, and good for a long, healthy life.

But unfortunately Greek food is still not well known to ordinary Chinese. There are only two or three Greek restaurants in Beijing, plus several other ones providing Mediterranean cuisine including some Greek specialties.



A food promotion sponsored by the Greek Embassy on November 15, attended by traders, caterers and media, introduced more of the countries' produce to Beijing. At the event, baskets of Greek products were displayed on a table, with labels marking their exporters in Greece, and importers in China. Michael Cambanis, Greece's Ambassador to China, said the current Year of Greece would benefit relations between the two countries. Dimitrios Nikas, Minister Plenipotentiary for Economic and Commercial Affairs, expects the number of importers in China to soon reach 50, fostering a business association. He also believes that Greek restaurants will expand fast in China.

The embassy printed out a list of Greek exporters and producers for Chinese business people seeking trade possibilities.

Angela Qian, manager at Amphora International Limited based in Shanghai, said her company is making good progress in the sales of such products as olive oil, Greek wines, and other quality Greek products in the high-end Chinese market. Other Chinese traders of Greek products in Shanghai and Beijing also expressed confidence in their business.

With the opening of Cultural Year of Greece in China on October 17, a whole range of Greek cultural events have been scheduled. A direct flight between Beijing and Athens also took off this month. These will certainly help the cultural exchanges between the two countries, and help their people to learn about each other's culinary culture.

Κατακλύστηκαν τα ορεινά των Τρικάλων τα Χριστούγεννα

Στο 100% η πληρότητα των καταλυμάτων

Απολύτως ικανοποιητική ήταν η κίνηση στα ορεινά καταλύματα του νομού μας το τριήμερο των Χριστουγέννων τα οποία κατακλύστηκαν από ξένους επισκέπτες που επέλεξαν την περιοχή μας για να περάσουν τις Άγιες ημέρες.

Η πληρότητα στον ορεινό όγκο χτύπησε κυριολεκτικά κόκκινο καθώς δεν υπήρχε κενό δωμάτιο ούτε για δείγμα σε Ελάτη, Περτούλι, Ασπροπόταμο και ορεινή Καλαμπάκα με τους επιχειρηματίες να τρίβουν τα χέρια τους από ικανοποίηση σε μια δύσκολη από οικονομικής πλευράς περίοδο.

Σε αντίθεση με την κίνηση στον ορεινό όγκο του νομού η πληρότητα στα ξενοδοχεία της Καλαμπάκας και του Καστρακίου ήταν χαμηλότερη καθώς άγγιξε το 75% έως το 90% κι αυτό γιατί οι περισσότεροι εκδρομείς όπως άλλωστε συμβαίνει τα τελευταία χρόνια προτιμούν τα ορεινά όπου το σκηνικό είναι εντελώς διαφορετικό όπως επισημαίνει ο πρόεδρος της Ένωσης Ξενοδόχων κ. Γιάννης Κουρούπας.

Βέβαια για τις ημέρες της Πρωτοχρονιάς βάσει των κρατήσεων η κίνηση θα είναι χαμηλότερη στα καταλύματα της Καλαμπάκας και του Καστρακίου και αναμένεται να κυμανθεί στο 60% περίπου παρατηρεί ο κ. Κουρούπας μιας και οι περισσότεροι προτιμούν να υποδεχτούν τη νέα χρονιά στα σπίτια τους σε οικογενειακή ατμόσφαιρα.

Όσον αφορά τα ξενοδοχεία των Τρικάλων και αυτά άγγιξαν το 100% της πληρότητάς τους, γεγονός που ικανοποίησε τους επαγγελματίες και προσδοκούν τα ποσοστά να είναι ικανοποιητικά και για την Πρωτοχρονιά.

Ωστόσο την τιμητική τους είχαν όπως προαναφέραμε τα ορεινά του νομού τα οποία ντυμένα στα λευκά από τις πρόσφατες χιονοπτώσεις αποτέλεσαν έναν μοναδικό προορισμό με τις σπάνιες ομορφιές τους και έκαναν όσους βρέθηκαν αυτές τις ημέρες εκεί να ζήσουν όμορφες και αξέχαστες στιγμές.

Όντως η κίνηση ήταν αρκετά μεγάλη και σαφώς περισσότερη από εκείνη της περασμένης χρονιάς δηλώνει η πρόεδρος των επαγγελματιών του ορεινού όγκου «Ξένιος Ζευς» κ. Έφη Μπακάση, καίτοι η δυναμικότητα των κλινών αυξήθηκε με νέα καταλύματα, γεγονός που ικανοποίησε όλους τους συναδέλφους όπως υπογραμμίζει αλλά και τους επισκέπτες που έφυγαν ενθουσιασμένοι από την όλη φιλοξενία και γενικότερα με την περιοχή και τους ανθρώπους της οι οποίοι έδωσαν τον καλύτερό τους εαυτό.

Στα ίδια επίπεδα αναμένεται να κυμανθεί η πληρότητα και την Πρωτοχρονιά και εκτός απροόπτου τα Θεοφάνεια καθότι η εκδρομή συνδυάζεται και με τα χειμερινά σπόρ που μπορούν να απολαύσουν στο χιονοδρομικό κέντρο Περτουλίου που σημειωτέον κατακλύστηκε αυτές τις ημέρες από κόσμο.

Το ευχάριστο πάντως είναι ότι δεν παρατηρήθηκαν προβλήματα αναφορικά με το κυκλοφοριακό καθώς οι αρμόδιες αρχές (Δήμος, Νομαρχιακή Αυτοδιοίκηση και Αστυνομία) έλαβαν όλα τα απαραίτητα μέτρα για την διευκόλυνση των επισκεπτών με συνέπεια όλα να κυλήσουν ομαλά και να μην υπάρξει ταλαιπωρία.

in few words..things are much better in Trikala this winter than last year.

The new TV Campaign for 2008. I like it very much, very natural, very "cinematographic", lovely music. As fot the logo i hoped they will have a kind of logo animation. And why did they change the font of the logo? The new font is even uglier then the old one!!

There are also new posters: Greek National Tourism Organisation (http://www.gnto.gr/pages.php?pageID=947&langID=2)

L5cUvN4eY2g

Ben4TXXk4TI

AupHbMo_e5E

aXf_37k-4_Q

Dh7yBOXXBf8

h20jznXEkf4

mi9A-B6L4fU

UN1fc0In8bQ

zYxWeAQD69A

xGBOhoD_hCc

Don't like them.
Last years where significantly more appealing.

Παραχώρηση 14.000 στρεμμάτων στο χιονοδρομικό Παρνασσού

Περίπου 14.000 στρέμματα θα παραχωρηθούν από το υπουργείο Αγροτικής Ανάπτυξης στο χιονοδρομικό κέντρο Παρνασσού για την επέκτασή του με νέες πίστες, προκειμένου να αποτελέσει τα επόμενα χρόνια ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα ευρωπαϊκά κέντρα χιονοδρομίας

Συνέχεια (http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_economy_1_18/01/2008_255858)

Παραχώρηση 14.000 στρεμμάτων στο χιονοδρομικό Παρνασσού



Συνέχεια (http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_economy_1_18/01/2008_255858)

Α βρε Πιλοτε, φίλε μου, δε μπορείς να καταλάβεις τι έχεις προκαλέσει στο μυαλό μου....Πάω να τρελαθώ!


:banana::cheers::rofl::pepper::applause::rock::banana2::cheer::horse::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::drunk:

Ναι το φαντάζομαι :)

Άλλα πώς και δεν έχουμε καμία αντίδραση απο περιβαλλοντικές οργανώσεις;
Ομολογώ ότι δεν γνωρίζω και πολλά για την δημιουργία και λειτουργεία ενός τέτοιου κέντρου, άλλα φαντάζομαι ότι αρκετά δένδρα θα θυσιαστούν, ή προκειται για μεγάλο υψόμετρο;

Ναι το φαντάζομαι :)

Άλλα πώς και δεν έχουμε καμία αντίδραση απο περιβαλλοντικές οργανώσεις;
Ομολογώ ότι δεν γνωρίζω και πολλά για την δημιουργία και λειτουργεία ενός τέτοιου κέντρου, άλλα φαντάζομαι ότι αρκετά δένδρα θα θυσιαστούν, ή προκειται για μεγάλο υψόμετρο;

Όχι, προκειται για μεγάλο υψόμετρο Πιλοτε, δηλαδή μιλάμε για πάνω απο τα 2,000 μετρα, εκεί η βλάστηση είναι αραιή (αυτό το φαινόμενο έχει να κάνει με το χαρακτήρα του κλίματος της περιοχής, δηλαδή το Αλπικό, όπου όσο πιο ψηλά βρίσκεσαι τοσο πιο φτωχή γίνεται η χλωρίδα. Αυτό δε συμβαίνει μόνο στην Ελλάδα αλλά σε κάθε χώρα όπου έχουν ψηλές οροσειρές. Άρα, οσο κι αν προσπαθήσουμε να φυτέψουμε δεντρα εκεί πάνω δεν πρόκειται να επιζήσουν).

Και τέλος αν ενα τετοιο έργο θα αποτελόυσε ενα επιζήμιο βήμα προς την περαιτέρο καταστροφή της Ελληνικής φύσης, εγώ θα ήμουν εντελώς κατά την κατασκευή ενος τέτοιου είδους έργου. Αν και αγαπώ τα χειμερινά σπορ, για μένα προτεραιότητα έχει η φύση.

Greece could see drop in 2008 tourists- minister

* Reuters
* Friday January 25 2008
By Karolos Grohmann

ATHENS, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Greece may see a drop in the number of visitors this year for the first time after three years of growth, but high-spending tourists will keep revenues rising, the country's tourism minister said.
Tourism, a main pillar of euro zone member Greece's economy, accounts for about 18 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and about one in five jobs.
Following the Athens 2004 Olympics, Greece saw the number of tourists increase from about 11 million to over 15 million last year as the country reaped the rewards of greater investment and international publicity ahead of and during the Games.
"I am not interested in the actual number of tourists but rather the quality of the visitors coming to Greece," Spiliotopoulos told Reuters in a telephone interview on Friday. "We are determined to move away from mass tourism and offer high quality services."
He said a different, more accurate system of counting visitors was being put in place, which could show a drop in arrivals. "If it shows less tourists for this year, so be it."
"As a percentage of GDP, I see growth this year. We are on an upward trend as far as revenues are concerned," he said.
Spiliotopoulos said his ministry has divided Greece's tourism product into nine sectors to target specialised visitors, including spa tourism, cultural tourism, conference tourism and city breaks among others.
"We are selling more specialised products and that is the solution. We may lose some share in mass tourism but we are more interested in attracting high-end visitors and balancing the gap between arrivals and revenues."
The minister said a strong euro was creating considerable headwinds for Greece but that would also be felt among its southern European competitors -- Spain, Portugal and Italy.
The tailwind created from the Athens Olympics was also fading as Beijing and China were sure to benefit from staging the Games this summer.
Spiliotopoulos said Greece is participating in more than 150 international tourism events this year, up from 120, and would also provide a new rating system for accommodation.
"On the one hand we target specialised visitors with more tailor-made approaches and on the other hand we improve the rating system so as to offer better services to high-end visitors." (Editing by David Christian-Edwards)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7255955


Hmmm....

Mass tourism VS High-end tourism

Hmmm....

Mass tourism VS High-end tourism

Actually I completely disagree. I never liked this or conjunction at all; why we should choose between one or the other and not both; I prefer the and. This speaks of a mediocre and conformist mentality.

I guess that attracting more tourism in quantity as well as in quality can be achieved as it happens in other countries indeed.

For instance we could focus on winter sports visitors, that way increasing the quantity and making Greece a full year round destination as well as increasing the quality of winter visitors (as we all know winter sports fans tend to spend more money than the average one). This is just one example of a myriadic list of examples of how to keep increasing the quantity of visitors as well as the quality.

Again, this behavior seems to me as mediocre and a conformist one kyrie Spiliotopoule; it's about time that Greece looks for the whole cake instead of just pieces of it.

The tailwind created from the Athens Olympics was also fading as Beijing and China were sure to benefit from staging the Games this summer.


Btw, Barcelona still pumps some benefits from the 92' Games even when they have been celebrated 15 years ago, and it still wasn't shadowed neither by Atlanta nor by Sydney or Athens. And if the tailwind created by the games is now fading (something I don't believe to be true, remember that Olympic games come from this land, so we have a special status regarding this international sports event); all right I think we have enough inventive to make people be still interested in our country and in the case of Athens in our city (for example, what the heck are we waiting for to make some serious campaigns promoting the Athens coastline??!?!?!?!).

Μνημόνιο τουριστικής συνεργασίας Ελλάδας - Γαλλίας

Μνημόνιο τουριστικής συνεργασίας ανάμεσα στη Γαλλία και την Ελλάδα αναμένεται να υπογραφεί στο προσεχές διάστημα και νωρίτερα από την 1η Ιουλίου, ημέρα ανάληψης της προεδρίας της ΕΕ από τη Γαλλία.

Συνέχεια (http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_28/01/2008_220013)

Συμμετοχή της Ελλάδας στη Διεθνή ΄Εκθεση Τουρισμού «Ferie 2008»

Ολοκληρώθηκε η Διεθνής ΄Εκθεση Τουρισμού «Ferie 2008», η οποία πραγματοποιήθηκε στο εκθεσιακό κέντρο της Κοπεγχάγης «Bella Center» και προκάλεσε το ενδιαφέρον των επαγγελματιών του κλάδου, του δανικού κοινού και των μέσων ενημέρωσης.

Συνέχεια (http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_28/01/2008_219984)

Hmmm....

Mass tourism VS High-end tourism

"I am not interested in the actual number of tourists but rather the quality of the visitors coming to Greece,"

We may lose some share in mass tourism but we are more interested in attracting high-end visitors and balancing the gap between arrivals and revenues."

Good article. I've always been a believer in what's been stated, however I don't think Greece is ready to be a high-end tourism destination yet. Some, very few places yes but not the country as a whole. Certainly not when you compare it to places such as Austria, Switzerland and France. Much better facilities and better services are required. Athens is still a way to go before it can be classed an Alpha city, but the potential for Greece to get there is high.

According to a top Scandinavian Newspaper, Greece is by far the best sun and sea destination in Europe yet again. Over 25,000 people were surveyed.
Just goes to show how highly regarded Greece is amongst the international travel community...and then we have people here telling me to think again when I quote Greece as being the best sun and sea nation in the world. :ohno:

1 (1) Greece
2 (2) Croatia
3 (3) Italy
4 (5) Canary Islands
5 (4) French Riviera
6 (6) Majorca
7 (9) Turkey
8 (7) Cyprus
9 (10) Spain
10 (new) Crete

I do not have a website source for it in English but the list is from the Croatian section of SSC where they are discussing Croatia's ranking of number 2 just behind Greece.
:cheers:

Good article. I've always been a believer in what's been stated, however I don't think Greece is ready to be a high-end tourism destination yet. Some, very few places yes but not the country as a whole. Certainly not when you compare it to places such as Austria, Switzerland and France. Much better facilities and better services are required. Athens is still a way to go before it can be classed an Alpha city, but the potential for Greece to get there is high.

The thing that makes your argument sound irrelevant is that you compare tourism industries like Austria and Switzerland against Greece...clearly not sun and sea destinations.
Why don't we compare the likes of Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and Turkey instead, most of which Greece has more attractive sites for the high-end tourist and in many cases it does actually have the superior facilities. With the exception of France and its French Riviera being a major draw card for the high-end tourist, the Greek islands are probarbly right up there as the best places for the rich to sail in.

How many rich fat men with yachts do you think tour the Turkish coast compared to the Aegean islands? How many of these tourists visit Croatia instead of Greece? Very few. How many of the expensive cruises from Europe choose to visit Spain and Portugal over the Greek Isles and the Aegean coastlines? Point is the high-end tourist is already attracted and visiting Greece so no need for Greece to be ready or not for them as you suggest.

Alpha city status has nothing to do with high-end tourism. Take Sydney for example (which is actually a beta city but nevertheless)...I am sure that despite its 'beta' status, it doesn't manage to draw many more high end tourists than Athens...especially not when the place is loaded with backpackers trying to live here on a dollar a day. :lol:

That being said, I don't argue that Greece has adequate five star facilities...it certainly stinks in comparison to France and probarbly Italy but you make it sound like a total write off and make a stupid argument by comparing Greece with countries famous for their cold and wintry ski resorts. :D

Just goes to show how highly regarded Greece is amongst the international travel community...and then we have people here telling me to think again when I quote Greece as being the best sun and sea nation in the world.


In all fairness Giorgio, the list is only Europe, a tiny part of the world, so yes one must be careful when comparing to the whole world and calling it "best sun and sea nation in the world". Do you forget about the Carribean, Latin America, South Pacific, and many other tropical island groups that are huge with tourism??
It is nice to be proud but you have to give the other places their respect also.
Europe, in general, is a much lesser "sea and sun" destination when considered worldwide in comparison to the tropics, obviously. There are so many places that draw sea and sun visitors 12 months a year with palm trees everywhere and powder white beaches, glowing water, and reefs with fish that look like rainbows. So, let's try to keep it in perspective.
Greece is great because it combines many elements of vacation, but for consideration of "sea and sun" alone I do think we must be careful when calling it "best in world". Europe, even Southern Europe, is not like Fiji, Polynesia, or the Carribean in that respect.

Best Sea and Sun in Europe...definitely!:) In the world? That may be questioned by some people.

In all fairness Giorgio, the list is only Europe, a tiny part of the world, so yes one must be careful when comparing to the whole world and calling it "best sun and sea nation in the world". Do you forget about the Carribean, Latin America, South Pacific, and many other tropical island groups that are huge with tourism??
It is nice to be proud but you have to give the other places their respect also.
Europe, in general, is a much lesser "sea and sun" destination when considered worldwide in comparison to the tropics, obviously. There are so many places that draw sea and sun visitors 12 months a year with palm trees everywhere and powder white beaches, glowing water, and reefs with fish that look like rainbows. So, let's try to keep it in perspective.
Greece is great because it combines many elements of vacation, but for consideration of "sea and sun" alone I do think we must be careful when calling it "best in world". Europe, even Southern Europe, is not like Fiji, Polynesia, or the Carribean in that respect.

Best Sea and Sun in Europe...definitely!:) In the world? That may be questioned by some people.

When you are refering to the best sun and sea destinations around the world, it's well known that the Mediterranean is considered worldwide as the most appealing, eye-catching and most complete in landscapes region of the world.

For instance in the the Mediterranean you can get, mountainous coastlines, cliff landscapes, flat beaches, palm trees groves (the largest one being located in Greece in the region around Vai in eastern Crete), mediterranean vegetation landscapes, pine trees covered mountains, etc. Not to mention the combination of these varied landscapes with rich thousands-years-old cultures and civilizations.

We don't have to forget also the fact of its strategic geographical location; the Mediterranean is actually embedded in a strategic location, INSIDE and close to the most economically wealthy markets of the world (Europe and North America, a market of roughly 800 million and 350 million people respectively).

All the above make this part of the world one, if not the most, popular on earth; hey, there's always a top one of the list, and for the moment regarding sea and sun it's the mediterranean; it doesn't mean the Caribbean or the South Pacific islands are not good, on the contrary they're great, but according to the opinion of statistics, polls, and visitors opinions, the Mediterranean is still the top destination.

We have to bear in mind also, that many of these countries also have parts out of the Mediterranean climate zone (France, Greece, Italy and Spain all of them have regions out of the Mediterranean climatic zone) so they have many other kind of landscapes and geographical attractions to offer.

And finally, let's get into the cold world of the numbers:


In 2006, most international travel was undertaken for the purpose of leisure and recreation (51%), reaching a total of 430 million. Business travel accounted for some 16% of the total (131 million) and another 27% covered travel for other motives, such as visiting friends and relatives, religious purposes, and health treatments (225 million).

Just about half of all international tourists arrived over land by road (43%) or rail (4%) to their destination in 2006. Air transport represented 46% of arrivals and transport over water accounted for 7%.

Now let's see the market share by region:

Region 2006 market share
Europe 54.4%
Northern Europe 6.5
Western Europe 17.7
Central/Eastern Europe 10.8
Southern/Mediterranean Europe 19.5
Asia and the Pacific 19.8
Northeast Asia 11.1%
Southeast Asia 6.4
Oceania 1.2
South Asia 1.0
Americas 16.1
North America 10.7
Caribbean 2.3
Central America 0.8%
South America 2.2
Africa 4.8
North Africa 1.8
Subsaharan Africa 3.0
Middle East 4.9


As you can see the Southern/Mediterranean Europe region is the most visited on earth holding just by its pretty self a 19.5% market share!!!! That's even more than the one achieved by North America and South America combined!!!! And almost as big as the one of Asia and the Pacific combined!!!!

Can you see that just a PART of Europe (the most popular one btw) attracts more visitors than whole continents?

As for the Caribbean, despite of its beauties, it doesn't represent any big chalenge to the Mediterranean (at least for the moment) as it takes just a 2.3% of the cake share compared to the Southern European 19.5%. The same happens with Oceania (where places like Fidji or Tahiti are located), which holds just the 1.2%. And Latin America is not that a big deal, having for South America a 2.2%. The only exception is Mexico, which is accounted along with America and Canada in the North American region.

In all fairness Giorgio, the list is only Europe, a tiny part of the world, so yes one must be careful when comparing to the whole world and calling it "best sun and sea nation in the world". Do you forget about the Carribean, Latin America, South Pacific, and many other tropical island groups that are huge with tourism??
It is nice to be proud but you have to give the other places their respect also.
Europe, in general, is a much lesser "sea and sun" destination when considered worldwide in comparison to the tropics, obviously. There are so many places that draw sea and sun visitors 12 months a year with palm trees everywhere and powder white beaches, glowing water, and reefs with fish that look like rainbows. So, let's try to keep it in perspective.
Greece is great because it combines many elements of vacation, but for consideration of "sea and sun" alone I do think we must be careful when calling it "best in world". Europe, even Southern Europe, is not like Fiji, Polynesia, or the Carribean in that respect.

Best Sea and Sun in Europe...definitely!:) In the world? That may be questioned by some people.

It may be questioned by some people but I also question your claims that it isn't the best in the world.

You say Europe is only a "tiny part in the world" :nuts: so there is no way Greece can be regarded amongst the best in the world...despite the fact that Europe is the most comprehensive continent on planet earth not to mention the biggest congregation of nations in the world. Not very tiny to me...

The sea mixed with the culture, architecture and landscape makes Greece the best sun and sea destination in the world leaving tropical destinations in the dust as far as I am concerned.

You may hold a different opinion but don't try and make it sound as though I am wrong. Italy and even Croatia are far more appealing to me than the nations you have mentioned purely because the history and culture there is far superior in my opinion.

Indeed it is a matter of personal opinion and that's what I have stated, my opinion. The mixture of art, history, culture, landscape, architecture and pure beauty make Greece the most amazing place to visit.

The thing that makes your argument sound irrelevant is that you compare tourism industries like Austria and Switzerland against Greece...clearly not sun and sea destinations. So? They may not share the same tourism product, but tourism is still a main industry of these countries.


Why don't we compare the likes of Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and Turkey instead, most of which Greece has more attractive sites for the high-end tourist and in many cases it does actually have the superior facilities. :lol: Says you. Have you been to these places? I doubt it coz you wouldn't make such a stupid comment like that if you'd been. They all have comparable, if not better sites. In particular their classier cities are full of decadent palaces and architecture from all periods, compared to Greece.

With the exception of France and its French Riviera being a major draw card for the high-end tourist, the Greek islands are probarbly right up there as the best places for the rich to sail in. So you think the rich don't visit the classy Italian riviera, Costa del Sol, Mallorca, Dalmatia and its islands? rofl :lol:that's hilarious!!

How many rich fat men with yachts do you think tour the Turkish coast compared to the Aegean islands? How many of these tourists visit Croatia instead of Greece? Very few. How many of the expensive cruises from Europe choose to visit Spain and Portugal over the Greek Isles and the Aegean coastlines? Please don't make flippant mis-guided patriotic comments without providing at least some evidence to back them up.

Point is the high-end tourist is already attracted and visiting Greece so no need for Greece to be ready or not for them as you suggest. High-end tourism doesn't just mean the super-rich. It means providing quality for value for the middle-classes as well. Even Djoubouti and Kenya have facilities for high-end tourism, doesn't mean they're high-end destinations.

Alpha city status has nothing to do with high-end tourism. Take Sydney for example (which is actually a beta city but nevertheless)...I am sure that despite its 'beta' status, it doesn't manage to draw many more high end tourists than Athens...especially not when the place is loaded with backpackers trying to live here on a dollar a day. :lol: Another mis-guided comment. Judging by the fact that Sydney has many more five-star and above hotels than Athens does, I would confidently say it attracts more high-end tourism.

That being said, I don't argue that Greece has adequate five star facilities...it certainly stinks in comparison to France and probarbly Italy but you make it sound like a total write off and make a stupid argument by comparing Greece with countries famous for their cold and wintry ski resorts. :D France, Austria and Switzerland are not only skiing winter resorts. This indicates your stereotypical, shallow views and lack of knowledge on these countries. Paris, Vienna and Zurich, in fact most of the cities in these places are well-known for their high culture, their quintissentiial 'stylish European ambience', their innovative and haute cuisine, cafe culture, art, well preserved historical and striking modern architecture, idyllic street-life and colourful well-groomed squares, first-world infrastructure, superior festivals, well organised and quality events to suit all sorts of special interests, picturesque lakes, fairy-tale castles, opulent palaces, verdant forests, river cruises, jazz clubs, opera, high quality products on sale in stylish boutiques and shops, theatre, galleries, polite and helpful tourism stakeholders, first-class tourism bureaus etc etc. Everything the high-end, discerning, more affluent visitor is looking for. Greece DOES NOT measure up in many areas in comparison to these countries. In fact it is decidely shabby.

It may be questioned by some people but I also question your claims that it isn't the best in the world.

You say Europe is only a "tiny part in the world" so there is no way Greece can be regarded amongst the best in the world...despite the fact that Europe is the most comprehensive continent on planet earth not to mention the biggest congregation of nations in the world. Not very tiny to me...

The sea mixed with the culture, architecture and landscape makes Greece the best sun and sea destination in the world leaving tropical destinations in the dust as far as I am concerned.

You may hold a different opinion but don't try and make it sound as though I am wrong. Italy and even Croatia are far more appealing to me than the nations you have mentioned purely because the history and culture there is far superior in my opinion.

Indeed it is a matter of personal opinion and that's what I have stated, my opinion. The mixture of art, history, culture, landscape, architecture and pure beauty make Greece the most amazing place to visit. Here you display an embaressing Eurocentricism and further lack of knowledge. To say tropical places don't offer culture, architecture etc means you know nothing of the attractions that Brazil, Havana, the Carribean, New Orleans, Miami etc have to offer. Furthermore stating personal taste is subjective, yet when arguing a point you should try to be objective. I suggest you visit the world a bit more and then make up your mind. Until then checkout a few of the threads on SSC away from the euro section and minimize your 'resolute' comments until you have a better understanding of WORLD tourism.

I don't agree that you can compare two different target markets when it comes to tourism. How can you try and make a comparison between the Parisian streets and the Greek isles? Ofcourse the "high-end" tourist would rather visit Paris for the quality of products on offer, especially where fashion and food is concerned but would the same high end tourist choose Paris over Kerkyra for a sun and sea getaway? You don't seem to realise that when there are two different products on offer people can actually and generally do enjoy both, in this case they can enjoy the beauty of Paris as well as the great and famed Greek isles for their summer destination.

Lets say two rich tourists from Germany decide to go on a summer vacation this July. They want to recline on a beach with pristine waters as most people would love as a summer getaway. Why wouldn't they choose Greece? It has adequate facilities for them even though they may not be as good as Paris' boutique hotels...which have nothing in common with the 5 star resorts they could choose to stay at in Mykonos and Zante. Yes, the comparison is dumb...and you are the one who initiated it by mentioning Paris, Zurich and Vienna in your post instead of interpreting my theme of Greece's sun and sea.

The point is, why would someone choose Paris, Zurich or Vienna over Greece? They are totally different destinations so why wouldn't someone with money go to both? You said Greece dosn't even have the facilities at the moment, something that is absoloutely incorrect. Maybe when you went to Greece in the 90's you stayed at poor quality hotels but let me tell you last time I was in Greece I was more than impressed with the quality of all accommodation I stayed at (bar Kefalonia :ohno:) and I am even more impressed with the hotels I am aware of right now.

You ask if I think the rich visit the Italian Riviera and the Dalmatia...do you think the rich visit Greece? Because you have inferred otherwise. I said it is probarbly right up there as one of the best places...will you tell me that the rich prefer to sail in Dalmatia or Aegean?

It means providing quality for value for the middle-classes as well.
Can you prove that Greece dosn't provide as much quality for value as any other Eurozone Mediterranean nation? Besides cheap Croatia and Turkey I don't think you have a leg to stand on. By the way, providing quality for value has nothing to do with tourists depositing more money into the economy...it just means that it would create a nice illusion for outsiders to see. Nothing to do with high-end tourism.

Lastly, instead of trying to argue with my opinion why don't YOU look at pictures of Greek beaches and make up your own opinion. I never said that the tropical places are culture less and architecture less I simply suggested that I prefer the beautiful culture that Greece has to offer. Have you got a problem with that? you really shouldn't. Your more than welcome to be in love with Bali but don't accuse me of not knowing enough of the world, I am well aware of the landscapes on offer in nearby Indonesia and I can tell you that while its nice, I am not a fan. Plus I was not arguing a point, I was actually giving my opinion and reasons for saying that its the best in the world. From the third paragraph down I stopped arguing any point and started giving my opinion and reasons for it.

So, you can enjoy Sydney and its supposed "high-end tourists" (despite the fact that it actually gets far less international tourists than Athens therefore making it most likely that it doesn't get more high end tourists as you'd lead us to believe) and I will carry on with the knowledge that Greece already has adequate facilities to sustain a high end market while still hoping and encouraging growth in the same area.
:cheers:

I don't agree that you can compare two different target markets when it comes to tourism. How can you try and make a comparison between the Parisian streets and the Greek isles? Well compare the stylish beachside resorts of Nice, St Moritz or Monte Carlo. We're comparing standards not identical tourism products for the zillionth time...:ohno:

Ofcourse the "high-end" tourist would rather visit Paris for the quality of products on offer, especially where fashion and food is concerned but would the same high end tourist choose Paris over Kerkyra for a sun and sea getaway? No becoz Paris doesn't offer sun and sea, but Nice on the Côte d'Azur does, so does stunning San Sebastian in Spain, immaculate Dubrovnik in Croatia, colourful bodrum in Turkey and a host of other better kept places than Corfu in the Mediterranean.

You don't seem to realise that when there are two different products on offer people can actually and generally do enjoy both, in this case they can enjoy the beauty of Paris as well as the great and famed Greek isles for their summer destination. Obviously.

Lets say two rich tourists from Germany decide to go on a summer vacation this July. They want to recline on a beach with pristine waters as most people would love as a summer getaway. Why wouldn't they choose Greece? Why wouldn't they choose Greece? Hmmm, well last time Hansel and Gretel were in Greece the ferries were on strike. Eventually when they made it to their island destination they were incessantly harassed by hawkers trying to get them to stay at their overpriced hotel. They wanted to try the famed Greek diet, but unfortunately only chicken schnitzel and a very poor Greek salad was on the menu. When they decided to have a look around the island they hired a moped and becoz it wasn't well maintained it broke down at the bottom of the hill and they had to walk it up in the stifling heat and then someone clipped them and they had to go to see a doctor. While they were waiting 4 hours for the doctor to appear, the injury worsened and then when they finally spoke to the doctor who had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, they were advised to go back home to get proper medical treatment. Hansel and Gretel decided that they weren't going to go to Greece the following year for their summer holiday. These stories have been known to occur more than often. Greece can be amateurish to put it mildly in tourism, it's no secret.

It has adequate facilities for them even though they may not be as good as Paris' boutique hotels...which have nothing in common with the 5 star resorts they could choose to stay at in Mykonos and Zante. Yes, the comparison is dumb...and you are the one who initiated it by mentioning Paris, Zurich and Vienna in your post instead of interpreting my theme of Greece's sun and sea. Again, I'm talking high-end tourism product, be it sun and sea, cities, culture whatever.

The point is, why would someone choose Paris, Zurich or Vienna over Greece? They are totally different destinations so why wouldn't someone with money go to both? You said Greece dosn't even have the facilities at the moment, something that is absoloutely incorrect. Maybe when you went to Greece in the 90's you stayed at poor quality hotels but let me tell you last time I was in Greece I was more than impressed with the quality of all accommodation I stayed at (bar Kefalonia :ohno:) and I am even more impressed with the hotels I am aware of right now. Good for you. I know Greece has nice hotels.

You ask if I think the rich visit the Italian Riviera and the Dalmatia...do you think the rich visit Greece? Because you have inferred otherwise. I said it is probarbly right up there as one of the best places...will you tell me that the rich prefer to sail in Dalmatia or Aegean? At the moment Croatia is the 'in' place. That's no secret in the tourism world and Croatia has alot of stunning, well-preserved architectural masterpiece cities and towns. Believe me, I've been there. Even Zagreb its inland capital is quite impressive, a 'mini Vienna' if you would. So, in Croatia you will get sun and sea, surrounded by greenery as well as culture, architecture and everything else Greece has to offer. Even their ancient ruins are better preserved in many cases. The high-end tourist would be very satisfied in Croatia, especially if service is friendly and professional.

Can you prove that Greece dosn't provide as much quality for value as any other Eurozone Mediterranean nation? Besides cheap Croatia and Turkey I don't think you have a leg to stand on. Just listen to Australians who come back from these countries. they always claim they got quality for money in Croatia and Turkey, more than they expected, and it's really a myth that they're alot cheaper. Not the case at all.

By the way, providing quality for value has nothing to do with tourists depositing more money into the economy...it just means that it would create a nice illusion for outsiders to see. Nothing to do with high-end tourism. This doesn't make sense to me and I have a post-grad in marketing.

Lastly, instead of trying to argue with my opinion why don't YOU look at pictures of Greek beaches and make up your own opinion. I never said that the tropical places are culture less and architecture less I simply suggested that I prefer the beautiful culture that Greece has to offer. Have you got a problem with that? you really shouldn't. Your more than welcome to be in love with Bali but don't accuse me of not knowing enough of the world, I am well aware of the landscapes on offer in nearby Indonesia and I can tell you that while its nice, I am not a fan. Plus I was not arguing a point, I was actually giving my opinion and reasons for saying that its the best in the world. From the third paragraph down I stopped arguing any point and started giving my opinion and reasons for it. Actually, I'm not a big fan of Bali. don't know why you're mentioning that. There are other places I mentioned that I'd definitely want to visit. But yes, taste is subjective.

So, you can enjoy Sydney and its supposed "high-end tourists" (despite the fact that it actually gets far less international tourists than Athens therefore making it most likely that it doesn't get more high end tourists as you'd lead us to believe) and I will carry on with the knowledge that Greece already has adequate facilities to sustain a high end market while still hoping and encouraging growth in the same area.
Believe what you want to believe. I'm just trying to make you more realistic.:cheers:

Neorion.......:ohno:

Why so much pent up hostility towards greeks and greece ?

Sad ......indeed

Hi Nicky. I give up on Neorion. Perhaps he is bi-polar. I swear, he used to be the biggest defender of all things Hellenic and now he has transformed to a trasher of his own people and land....continuously! (that is the sad part; self criticism is ok and we all know Greece can improve in certain areas, but, to trash it the way he does is sad)

I don't know what happened....

Hi Nicky. I give up on Neorion. Perhaps he is bi-polar. I swear, he used to be the biggest defender of all things Hellenic and now he has transformed to a trasher of his own people and land....continuously! Settle down LEAFS...:ohno: Please, I luv Hellas and all (mostly all) things Hellenic.

(that is the sad part; self criticism is ok and we all know Greece can improve in certain areas, but, to trash it the way he does is sad) And those who truly luv it are not afraid to give criticism where criticism is due.

I don't know what happened.... I tell you what, my position of staying silent on criticism changed dramatically after the forest fires in Greece last summer. As an environmentalist that left a bad taste in my mouth ever since, and from then on I've decided not to hold back on constructive criticism.

Anyway, I have my point of view like the next guy and I admit I may be wrong. We're here to discuss these issues without malintent.

Take care!

:ohno: Please, I luv Hellas and all (mostly all) things Hellenic.



Too bad you don't show it. :)

France, Austria and Switzerland are not only skiing winter resorts. This indicates your stereotypical, shallow views and lack of knowledge on these countries.

I'm afraid that you have a shallow and stereotypical view of these countries, neorion.

I've lived in France, and I love that country. But it's not exactly the way you're describing it. And that's what I love about France...I love the fact that France's "high-class" stereotype goes out the window the minute you set foot in that country. I've never been to Austria, and I've only been to Switzerland for a layover at Zurich Kloten. But I know France very well, and I know the real France, not the 5-star snobby haute-cuisine stereotype that many outsiders think of when they think of France. If you're one of those self-loathing Greeks who always thinks that xeno = better, and exoteriko = civilized, then you'd be surprised how much France has in common with Greece. A lot of the complaints that you have for Greece (bad food, rude people, bad drivers, high-prices, everything's always on strike, etc)...I always hear these same complaints from Americans about France. And yes, they have siesta in France too, especially in the South, but even in Paris to an extent (remember, France is a Southern European culture)...kind of annoying when you need to go to the bank, and the bank is closed for lunch between 13:00 and 15:00.

Now, I have absolutely no problem when we criticize ourselves. There's a lot we need to address. But it does irk me a lot when we make comparisons -especially false comparisons- about how other countries are supposedly sooooo much better.



Paris, Vienna and Zurich, in fact most of the cities in these places are well-known for their high culture, their quintissentiial 'stylish European ambience', their innovative and haute cuisine, cafe culture, art, well preserved historical and striking modern architecture, idyllic street-life and colourful well-groomed squares, first-world infrastructure, superior festivals, well organised and quality events to suit all sorts of special interests, picturesque lakes, fairy-tale castles, opulent palaces, verdant forests, river cruises, jazz clubs, opera, high quality products on sale in stylish boutiques and shops, theatre, galleries, polite and helpful tourism stakeholders, first-class tourism bureaus etc etc. Everything the high-end, discerning, more affluent visitor is looking for. Greece DOES NOT measure up in many areas in comparison to these countries. In fact it is decidely shabby.

I think the word "shabby" is a bit harsh in your comparison between these "better" countries and Greece. True, you'll find more of these things in France than in Greece. As Greece matures (as a modern society and as a developed economy)...as Greek consumers become more demanding...and as the Greek tourism and hospitality industries also mature, these luxuries -which France has had for a long time- are only now coming to Greece. You're right. And we definitely need these things in Greece in order to attract the high-end demographic...but we shouldn't neglect the middle-income demographics either.

And do you think that most tourists come to France for 5-star hotels? 5-star restaurants? Yves-Saint-Laurent boutiques? WRONG The vast majority of tourists who come to France come for the same reasons that they come to Greece: for sun and sea along France's coasts (millions of Brits staying at modest 2-star hotels), for sightseeing (Eiffel Tower, Loire chateaux, Gothic cathedrals, medieval castles, Roman ruins, etc), and the countryside (you see Germans in RVs in France, just as you see in Greece). This may come as a shock to you, but most visitors to France bypass Paris. Any jamoke can get a cheap flight nowadays from Britain to Saint Tropez.

Let me tell you a day in my life in Paris: I lived in a small studio apartment with a roommate...a kitchen and a bathroom that one person could barely fit into. I slept on a floor bed, in the room where we kept the TV and computer. I went to school everyday, I took the Metro. Walking through the streets of Paris in winter and early spring, there were no tourists in the streets. Then, suddenly, one day in mid-spring...there were tourists everywhere. And I could not avoid these people in my daily commute to/from school. The vast majority of whom were not high-end tourists. The vast majority of them were either middle-class badly-dressed Americans or camera-happy Japanese being herded around Paris on tour buses. Or European families on a weekend visit. Where do you think most of these tourists stay? At 1-star and 2-star hotels (or 3-stars at best) at the edges of the city (and there's nothing wrong with these hotels. Clean, adequate, but basic. not luxurious. that's all I need [something affordable], and that's all most people need).

Do you think that the expensive 5-star restaurants are common in Paris and Nice? Nope. In Paris, the most common restaurant you'll find -by far- is a brasserie...France's answer to the Greek taverna. They slap a few common things on the menu (like steak frites and croque madame)...but most people only go to the brasseries for whisky or coffee, and to sit outside and people watch. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of excellent restaurants in France, but the 5-star restaurants are not the best restaurants. The best restaurants in France are the hidden restaurants that only locals go to...the ones where they write the menu on chalkboard, and they charge you a modest fare (12-16 euros per person) for a great meal.

And regarding "superior festivals" ...actually Greece has a lot of these, if you care to learn about them.



Here you display an embaressing Eurocentricism and further lack of knowledge. To say tropical places don't offer culture, architecture etc means you know nothing of the attractions that Brazil, Havana, the Carribean, New Orleans, Miami etc have to offer.

I completely agree with you. But keep in mind that -surprisingly- Brazil is not a popular tourist destination. Why? I don't know. Is it the crime? Are they too far from the major markets? (USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, China?) Is it lack of advertisement, their undeveloped tourism/hospitality industry? Who knows.

New Orleans and Miami: lots of culture and architecture. Especially New Orleans, if you love architecture, culture, and history. But New Orleans is also well-known to Americans for poverty and violence, and Miami is known for crime...believe me: in Miami there's absolutely no reason to step outside of South Beach (and fyi: when I visited South Beach, it felt exactly like an American Mykonos).

Well compare the stylish beachside resorts of Nice, St Moritz or Monte Carlo. We're comparing standards not identical tourism products for the zillionth time...:ohno:

No becoz Paris doesn't offer sun and sea, but Nice on the Côte d'Azur does, so does stunning San Sebastian in Spain, immaculate Dubrovnik in Croatia, colourful bodrum in Turkey and a host of other better kept places than Corfu in the Mediterranean.

The Côte d'Azur is now overrun by cheap package tourism. The glamour of the 1950s is long gone, my friend. Some Côte d'Azur towns like Toulon and Hyères have somewhat "shabby" reputations (Toulon is known as a dirty sailor's version of Rhodes' Faliráki)...Corfu beats most of these towns any day. And funny thing: you'll see lots of Athenian-looking apartments buildings (1960s/1970s apartment blocks with long balconies and sun shades) all along the coast, particularly in Nice, Cannes, and Antibes. The postcards only show you the small historic district...not what lies right next to the historic district. There are still some relatively untouched places on the Côte d'Azur, though. And I still love the Côte d'Azur. But it's not that different from the Greek islands...actually, it's probably more overdeveloped than the Greek islands are.

It seems to me that you have this over-romanticized notion of the Côte d'Azur...but that will quickly change when you actually visit. Especially if you happen to drive on the A8 motorway, and you witness how Nice, Cannes, and Antibes have merged into a single sprawling urban area, Attica-style. And believe it or not...people in France are always telling me how much they enjoyed Greece or how much they'd like to go there.

And on Spain: San Sebastián is stunning, but the country's Costa Blanca, Costa Brava, and Costa del Sol are notorious for their overdevelopment.

And FYI: Monte Carlo is not in France. Monaco is a sovereign state.


Why wouldn't they choose Greece? Hmmm, well last time Hansel and Gretel were in Greece the ferries were on strike.

France is on strike every week. The trains (which a lot of tourists rely on) go on strike all the time. The airports go on strike. Farmers will go on strike, and they'll block major motorwats. Air France goes on strike. The musuems go on strike...yes! the museums go on strike! even the Louvre goes on strike (no, I'm not kidding. the Louvre consistently would go on strike when I was living in Paris). Strikes are France's national passtime.


Eventually when they made it to their island destination they were incessantly harassed by hawkers trying to get them to stay at their overpriced hotel.

I contribute to two travel websites (eurotrip.com and eurotrek.net), which are geared more towards American and Canadian travelers, and most posters love the fact that you can island-hop on a whim in Greece, and that you can easily find accomodation at the port when you arrive. Not one person has ever complained about this. (They find this very tame, compared to aggressive carpet-sellers in Turkey).

The fact that you can leave Mykonos spontaneously and decide -on a whim- to visit Santorini, without needing to make reservations in high season...this is actually very popular with the Americans and Canadians that I deal with. They love the fact that someone will approach them with a place to stay, and not one person has ever complained about the hotel they went to, nor about the prices, which they see as relatively inexpensive, compared to most of the rest of Western Europe. Keep in mind -and you may disagree with this- but -generally- Greeks actually have much higher standards when they go on holiday, than Americans and Canadians do. Will a Greek college student ever carry a backpack and stay at a youth hostel?

As for Europeans: the vast majority of Europeans arrive by charter flights, so they don't even see the hotel "hawkers", because these "hawkers" spend most of their time in the ports.


They wanted to try the famed Greek diet,


With all due respect...our cuisine is not as famous as we think it is.

but unfortunately only chicken schnitzel and a very poor Greek salad was on the menu.

Really? I totally agree that this was the case in the 1980s and 1990s...but the Greek restaurant industry has come a long way since.


When they decided to have a look around the island they hired a moped and becoz it wasn't well maintained it broke down at the bottom of the hill and they had to walk it up in the stifling heat and then someone clipped them and they had to go to see a doctor. While they were waiting 4 hours for the doctor to appear, the injury worsened and then when they finally spoke to the doctor who had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, they were advised to go back home to get proper medical treatment.


Oh GIVE ME A BREAK.


Hansel and Gretel decided that they weren't going to go to Greece the following year for their summer holiday. These stories have been known to occur more than often. Greece can be amateurish to put it mildly in tourism, it's no secret.

Actually, Greece is well-known for having a developed tourism industry.



At the moment Croatia is the 'in' place. That's no secret in the tourism world and Croatia has alot of stunning, well-preserved architectural masterpiece cities and towns. Believe me, I've been there. Even Zagreb its inland capital is quite impressive, a 'mini Vienna' if you would. So, in Croatia you will get sun and sea, surrounded by greenery as well as culture, architecture and everything else Greece has to offer. Even their ancient ruins are better preserved in many cases. The high-end tourist would be very satisfied in Croatia, especially if service is friendly and professional.

I don't doubt that you've been to Croatia...but your impression of France is way off.

I'm very happy that Croatia is a paradise...but what will it look like when the country starts to pull in the huge numbers that France and Greece do?


Just listen to Australians who come back from these countries. they always claim they got quality for money in Croatia and Turkey, more than they expected, and it's really a myth that they're alot cheaper. Not the case at all.

A lot Australians I meet are nasty, cynical, condescending, snobby people who think that the rest of the world doesn't measure up to Australia. A small, Napoleon-complex nation who thinks she's America. Thank God Americans and Canadians are down-to-earth. I never get an anti-Greek sentiment from Americans and Canadians...I only get it from Australians. Yes, Americans are bad at geography, they're gullible (they believe everything their media and government tells them), and those who have never left their country might naively believe that theirs is the only developed/industrialized nation in the world...and that people in Greece and Europe still weave their own clothes and churn their own butter. But at least Americans are loveable, friendly, and down-to-earth, and they always want to learn more about Greece. I never get this nasty condescending attitude from Americans that I get from Australians. (And -contrary to what you might believe...I never get these nasty condescending attitudes from the French either. Never.)

It just never fails...a lot of Australians I meet...and everything I hear and read about Australia in the news...what is their problem down there?

Then again, they never liked us "wogs" to begin with. (a major reason I never want to visit Australia. I don't want people treating me like dirt and spitting on me, because of my ethnic background)


Believe what you want to believe. I'm just trying to make you more realistic.:cheers:

And you can believe what you want to believe.

Again, please don't misinterpret my post as an attempt to divert attention from constructive criticism. It just irks me when people make false comparisons with other countries.

^^ Great post Skyduster.
I agree 100% percent with what you write. I myself ,from personal experience, have come to the same conclusions. We must be critical with our country, but we must also be fair.

I'm afraid that you have a shallow and stereotypical view of these countries, neorion.

I've lived in France, and I love that country. But it's not exactly the way you're describing it. And that's what I love about France...I love the fact that France's "high-class" stereotype goes out the window the minute you set foot in that country. I've never been to Austria, and I've only been to Switzerland for a layover at Zurich Kloten. But I know France very well, and I know the real France, not the 5-star snobby haute-cuisine stereotype that many outsiders think of when they think of France. If you're one of those self-loathing Greeks who always thinks that xeno = better, and exoteriko = civilized, then you'd be surprised how much France has in common with Greece. A lot of the complaints that you have for Greece (bad food, rude people, bad drivers, high-prices, everything's always on strike, etc)...I always hear these same complaints from Americans about France. And yes, they have siesta in France too, especially in the South, but even in Paris to an extent (remember, France is a Southern European culture)...kind of annoying when you need to go to the bank, and the bank is closed for lunch between 13:00 and 15:00.

Now, I have absolutely no problem when we criticize ourselves. There's a lot we need to address. But it does irk me a lot when we make comparisons -especially false comparisons- about how other countries are supposedly sooooo much better.

I think the word "shabby" is a bit harsh in your comparison between these "better" countries and Greece. True, you'll find more of these things in France than in Greece. As Greece matures (as a modern society and as a developed economy)...as Greek consumers become more demanding...and as the Greek tourism and hospitality industries also mature, these luxuries -which France has had for a long time- are only now coming to Greece. You're right. And we definitely need these things in Greece in order to attract the high-end demographic...but we shouldn't neglect the middle-income demographics either.

And do you think that most tourists come to France for 5-star hotels? 5-star restaurants? Yves-Saint-Laurent boutiques? WRONG The vast majority of tourists who come to France come for the same reasons that they come to Greece: for sun and sea along France's coasts (millions of Brits staying at modest 2-star hotels), for sightseeing (Eiffel Tower, Loire chateaux, Gothic cathedrals, medieval castles, Roman ruins, etc), and the countryside (you see Germans in RVs in France, just as you see in Greece). This may come as a shock to you, but most visitors to France bypass Paris. Any jamoke can get a cheap flight nowadays from Britain to Saint Tropez.

Let me tell you a day in my life in Paris: I lived in a small studio apartment with a roommate...a kitchen and a bathroom that one person could barely fit into. I slept on a floor bed, in the room where we kept the TV and computer. I went to school everyday, I took the Metro. Walking through the streets of Paris in winter and early spring, there were no tourists in the streets. Then, suddenly, one day in mid-spring...there were tourists everywhere. And I could not avoid these people in my daily commute to/from school. The vast majority of whom were not high-end tourists. The vast majority of them were either middle-class badly-dressed Americans or camera-happy Japanese being herded around Paris on tour buses. Or European families on a weekend visit. Where do you think most of these tourists stay? At 1-star and 2-star hotels (or 3-stars at best) at the edges of the city (and there's nothing wrong with these hotels. Clean, adequate, but basic. not luxurious. that's all I need [something affordable], and that's all most people need).

Do you think that the expensive 5-star restaurants are common in Paris and Nice? Nope. In Paris, the most common restaurant you'll find -by far- is a brasserie...France's answer to the Greek taverna. They slap a few common things on the menu (like steak frites and croque madame)...but most people only go to the brasseries for whisky or coffee, and to sit outside and people watch. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of excellent restaurants in France, but the 5-star restaurants are not the best restaurants. The best restaurants in France are the hidden restaurants that only locals go to...the ones where they write the menu on chalkboard, and they charge you a modest fare (12-16 euros per person) for a great meal.

And regarding "superior festivals" ...actually Greece has a lot of these, if you care to learn about them.




Couldn't agree more, btw one of the worst taxi drivers I've ever met was in Paris; and people working in ORD airport are in general terms rude, however it's a lovely country but we should not stick to those stereotypical images people have, not only of France but of every country. We should explore the real parts of the places we visit, where regular locals use to go or live in.

I completely agree with you. But keep in mind that -surprisingly- Brazil is not a popular tourist destination. Why? I don't know. Is it the crime? Are they too far from the major markets? (USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, China?) Is it lack of advertisement, their undeveloped tourism/hospitality industry? Who knows.


True, Latin American destinations are really far from the major markets and the quality of the offered services still lack behind their NorthAmerican and European counterparts. Though, there's one exception to the rule and it has a name...Mexico.

in Miami there's absolutely no reason to step outside of South Beach (and fyi: when I visited South Beach, it felt exactly like an American Mykonos).


Wrong, Miami has lots of places to go to outside of South Beach. Btw the places of Miami I prefer or like to visit the most, are in the continental part of the city; like Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Downtown Miami (a real booming area regarding the construction of skyscrapers), Aventura to the north, Dadeland, the North Shores, and the list goes on.

Strikes are France's national passtime

True, they make our ΓΣΕΕ boys look like a bunch of children in a kindergarten

With all due respect...our cuisine is not as famous as we think it is.


Wrong, it's one of the most varied and healthiest worldwide, making it more popular day by day in other parts of the world, there're even TV programs in major broadcasting channels dedicated exclusively to the Greek cuisine!! Believe me, Greek food and wine are doing really good in foreign markets nowadays; and the three keys of the secret that makes it so popular now that it has been discovered by the rest of the world, is the fact of its simplicity, healthiness and most importantly the variety of its flavors. It's as varied as the landscapes of our country, so having each one of our regions offering something different for us to taste.

I'm afraid that you have a shallow and stereotypical view of these countries, neorion.

I've lived in France, and I love that country. But it's not exactly the way you're describing it. And that's what I love about France...I love the fact that France's "high-class" stereotype goes out the window the minute you set foot in that country. You can't be serious? The minute I got out of the metro station from my overnight rail journey, the first time I went to Paris and saw the Rue de Rivoli, I knew that I was in a special place, the epitome of urban culture and prestige. No place can beat it in the world, NO PLACE. Add all the other beautiful cities and towns, wine regions chateaus, villages etc...well!!

I've never been to Austria, and I've only been to Switzerland for a layover at Zurich Kloten. Both countries are all class. So picture perfect it's almost sickening, sterile if you like.

But I know France very well, and I know the real France, not the 5-star snobby haute-cuisine stereotype that many outsiders think of when they think of France. If you're one of those self-loathing Greeks who always thinks that xeno = better, and exoteriko = civilized, then you'd be surprised how much France has in common with Greece. A lot of the complaints that you have for Greece (bad food, rude people, bad drivers, high-prices, everything's always on strike, etc)...I always hear these same complaints from Americans about France. And yes, they have siesta in France too, especially in the South, but even in Paris to an extent (remember, France is a Southern European culture)...kind of annoying when you need to go to the bank, and the bank is closed for lunch between 13:00 and 15:00. No place is perfect of course, and Greece is nowhere near. Let's get to satisfactory first.

Now, I have absolutely no problem when we criticize ourselves. There's a lot we need to address. But it does irk me a lot when we make comparisons -especially false comparisons- about how other countries are supposedly sooooo much better. In many aspects they usually are.


I think the word "shabby" is a bit harsh in your comparison between these "better" countries and Greece. True, you'll find more of these things in France than in Greece. As Greece matures (as a modern society and as a developed economy)...as Greek consumers become more demanding...and as the Greek tourism and hospitality industries also mature, these luxuries -which France has had for a long time- are only now coming to Greece. You're right. And we definitely need these things in Greece in order to attract the high-end demographic...but we shouldn't neglect the middle-income demographics either. Yes we mustn't neglect the middle-income demographics, I agree. Too often the middle-classes who have to deal with grass-roots tourism stake-holders are the ones doing the complaining. They complain about the rude periptero owner, the rude museum employee, the psychotic taxi driver etc. Don't worry, high end tourists don't have to put up with the average stake-holder in tourism related work. They don't see the 'real' Greece from the luxury of their deluxe hotel. Only the 'servants' who carry out their requirements do.

And do you think that most tourists come to France for 5-star hotels? 5-star restaurants? Yves-Saint-Laurent boutiques? WRONG The vast majority of tourists who come to France come for the same reasons that they come to Greece: for sun and sea along France's coasts (millions of Brits staying at modest 2-star hotels), for sightseeing (Eiffel Tower, Loire chateaux, Gothic cathedrals, medieval castles, Roman ruins, etc), and the countryside (you see Germans in RVs in France, just as you see in Greece). This may come as a shock to you, but most visitors to France bypass Paris. Any jamoke can get a cheap flight nowadays from Britain to Saint Tropez. Tourists go to France and especially high-end ones for many reasons, not just sun and sand. France has a diversified tourism industry that can satisfy many special interests. Cultural tourism is huge. If you're not aware of that then you didn't get to know the country very well when you were living there. You could spend a life-time just visiting art galleries or wineries or chateaus or gastronomical roads etc. Certainly very appealing for the well heeled, well educated, discerning high end tourist.

Let me tell you a day in my life in Paris: I lived in a small studio apartment with a roommate...a kitchen and a bathroom that one person could barely fit into. I slept on a floor bed, in the room where we kept the TV and computer. I went to school everyday, I took the Metro. Walking through the streets of Paris in winter and early spring, there were no tourists in the streets. Then, suddenly, one day in mid-spring...there were tourists everywhere. And I could not avoid these people in my daily commute to/from school. The vast majority of whom were not high-end tourists. The vast majority of them were either middle-class badly-dressed Americans or camera-happy Japanese being herded around Paris on tour buses. Or European families on a weekend visit. Where do you think most of these tourists stay? At 1-star and 2-star hotels (or 3-stars at best) at the edges of the city (and there's nothing wrong with these hotels. Clean, adequate, but basic. not luxurious. that's all I need [something affordable], and that's all most people need). Well look at tourism and accommodation like a jumbo jet. Most passengers on a jumbo are in economy class, but there's always first class as well. All countries have their range of tourists. The first time I went to Paris I was a back-packer and stayed in a hostel.

Do you think that the expensive 5-star restaurants are common in Paris and Nice? Nope. In Paris, the most common restaurant you'll find -by far- is a brasserie...France's answer to the Greek taverna. They slap a few common things on the menu (like steak frites and croque madame)...but most people only go to the brasseries for whisky or coffee, and to sit outside and people watch. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of excellent restaurants in France, but the 5-star restaurants are not the best restaurants. The best restaurants in France are the hidden restaurants that only locals go to...the ones where they write the menu on chalkboard, and they charge you a modest fare (12-16 euros per person) for a great meal. Like anywhere!

And regarding "superior festivals" ...actually Greece has a lot of these, if you care to learn about them. Yeah, so?


The Côte d'Azur is now overrun by cheap package tourism. The glamour of the 1950s is long gone, my friend. Some Côte d'Azur towns like Toulon and Hyères have somewhat "shabby" reputations (Toulon is known as a dirty sailor's version of Rhodes' Faliráki)...Corfu beats most of these towns any day. And funny thing: you'll see lots of Athenian-looking apartments buildings (1960s/1970s apartment blocks with long balconies and sun shades) all along the coast, particularly in Nice, Cannes, and Antibes. The postcards only show you the small historic district...not what lies right next to the historic district. There are still some relatively untouched places on the Côte d'Azur, though. And I still love the Côte d'Azur. But it's not that different from the Greek islands...actually, it's probably more overdeveloped than the Greek islands are. It's still classy though.

It seems to me that you have this over-romanticized notion of the Côte d'Azur...but that will quickly change when you actually visit. Especially if you happen to drive on the A8 motorway, and you witness how Nice, Cannes, and Antibes have merged into a single sprawling urban area, Attica-style. And believe it or not...people in France are always telling me how much they enjoyed Greece or how much they'd like to go there. No doubt. I know French people like Greece, I've heard it from them too. But the Côte d'Azur is part of the Provence region and that has LOTS more to offer than just sea and sand, Aix en Provence, Avignon, renowned gastronomy, idyllic country-side, antiquity, medieval, renaissance, gothic, modern architecture etc.

And on Spain: San Sebastián is stunning, but the country's Costa Blanca, Costa Brava, and Costa del Sol are notorious for their overdevelopment. Yes, but Spain has classy cities as well. The four S-cities for starters; Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, San Sebastian and on latest reviews I've read, you can include Santander. Add Bilbao, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Zaragosa, Vittoria, La Caruna, Cordoba, Cadiz, Segovia, Avilla...mate you are spoiled for chioce. In another league compared to Greece really, at least as far as classy urbanity is concerned.

And FYI: Monte Carlo is not in France. Monaco is a sovereign state. Yes I know, let's not split hairs, it's still on the Côte d'Azur.



France is on strike every week. The trains (which a lot of tourists rely on) go on strike all the time. The airports go on strike. Farmers will go on strike, and they'll block major motorwats. Air France goes on strike. The musuems go on strike...yes! the museums go on strike! even the Louvre goes on strike (no, I'm not kidding. the Louvre consistently would go on strike when I was living in Paris). Strikes are France's national passtime. Two wrongs don't make a right. I hate it when I get this sort of argument from some Greeks and others. 'Yeah but Paris has slums too and in Naples they don't collect their garbage too' blah blah blah. Anyway, Greece can't afford to be in that position constantly and it is much more seriously abused in Greece than other places. An abuse of democracy I see it, holding the country to ransom.


I contribute to two travel websites (eurotrip.com and eurotrek.net), which are geared more towards American and Canadian travelers, and most posters love the fact that you can island-hop on a whim in Greece, and that you can easily find accomodation at the port when you arrive. Not one person has ever complained about this. (They find this very tame, compared to aggressive carpet-sellers in Turkey). Try getting off at ferry stations in Ios, Mykonos and even Santorini. Like starving savages they prounce on you. Thankfully it didn't happen on Syros or my own island of Chios though.

The fact that you can leave Mykonos spontaneously and decide -on a whim- to visit Santorini, without needing to make reservations in high season...this is actually very popular with the Americans and Canadians that I deal with. They love the fact that someone will approach them with a place to stay, and not one person has ever complained about the hotel they went to, nor about the prices, which they see as relatively inexpensive, compared to most of the rest of Western Europe. Keep in mind -and you may disagree with this- but -generally- Greeks actually have much higher standards when they go on holiday, than Americans and Canadians do. Will a Greek college student ever carry a backpack and stay at a youth hostel? No he will probably send his clothes back to his mama to do the laundry, so it is more to do with lack of independence and responsibility than having the will or ability to backpack. They're just not willing to do what most other western kids do. Backpacking builds character.

As for Europeans: the vast majority of Europeans arrive by charter flights, so they don't even see the hotel "hawkers", because these "hawkers" spend most of their time in the ports. True, but backpackers do. Many who are students and in the future will be doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc and will keep their unfavourable memories of the starved, shameless hawkers rudely harassing them for business.

With all due respect...our cuisine is not as famous as we think it is. Greek cuisine is more renowned than it's ever been at the moment. Due mainly for its reported nutritional value. I'm surprised someone in America would say that, considering the plethora of upscale Greek restuarants opening up constantly in North America.

Really? I totally agree that this was the case in the 1980s and 1990s...but the Greek restaurant industry has come a long way since. My point exactly, but not always the case during the busy holiday season.

Actually, Greece is well-known for having a developed tourism industry. This is arguable. Developed yes, developed properly and in best practice? Probably not!

I don't doubt that you've been to Croatia...but your impression of France is way off.

I'm very happy that Croatia is a paradise...but what will it look like when the country starts to pull in the huge numbers that France and Greece do? Croatia already has HUGE numbers. Ten million in 2007 and with 4.5 million citizens, less than half of Greece's population, it's doing very well. Greece with ten million people received 16 million, so in ratio Croatia receives more tourists.

A lot Australians I meet are nasty, cynical, condescending, snobby people who think that the rest of the world doesn't measure up to Australia. It doesn't.

A small, Napoleon-complex nation who thinks she's America. Never, Australians are horrified to think that the country will become like America.

Thank God Americans and Canadians are down-to-earth. I never get an anti-Greek sentiment from Americans and Canadians...I only get it from Australians. Look maybe you have a gripe with me, but please spare us the generalisation garbage. Firstly, Australians are known to be one of the most laid-back, easy going, fair dinkum people on the planet. That's part of the stereotypical Australian character. Secondly, Australians are certainly not anti-Greek or anti-anyone. They treat everyone equally and are very tolerant and understanding for the most part. They are well traveled, venturing to more intrepid locations than the average world traveler, and it's no coincidence that world's most popular tourist guide books Lonely Planet are published and originate from Australia, Melbourne to be exact. Furthermore Greeks are an integral part of today's multicultural make-up that is Australia. One of the oldest, established, recognised and celebrated ethnic groups in the country. The Australian government supports ALL of Greece's political greivances it has with its neighbours (which is more than we can say for the US), and quite frankly it would be political suicide for it not to. In other words Greeks do hold some sway in Australia and by percentage of population the biggest Greek diaspora in the world is here. Please do not give me your lame, unqualified anti-Australian sentiments that are quite a mis-characterisation compared to what everyone else thinks in the world and experiences when they're here.

Yes, Americans are bad at geography, they're gullible (they believe everything their media and government tells them), and those who have never left their country might naively believe that theirs is the only developed/industrialized nation in the world...and that people in Greece and Europe still weave their own clothes and churn their own butter. But at least Americans are loveable, friendly, and down-to-earth, and they always want to learn more about Greece. I never get this nasty condescending attitude from Americans that I get from Australians. (And -contrary to what you might believe...I never get these nasty condescending attitudes from the French either. Never.) Interesting, maybe you're too sensitive. One thing for sure, Australians don't hold back on what they think and perhaps this may come across as blunt to some, but it also means being honest. So, as a sophisticated, well traveled. old Athenian lady told me once 'when Australians say no they mean no and when they say yes they mean yes', and thats why she thought Australians were amongst the best, most honest people on the planet.

It just never fails...a lot of Australians I meet...and everything I hear and read about Australia in the news...what is their problem down there? What do you hear? That there was the fourth shooting in a week on a school or university campus? There are problems here like anywhere, but nothing compared to the rest of the world, including the US. Some say it's the last utopia on Earth. I mean why do you think so many Greeks came hear and laid roots? And why are so many people waiting patiently in line to immigrate here, including many from Nroth America. Sorry, probably only Canada can compare, but Australia's advantages lie in geography (its own continent) and climate, away from the world's trouble spots and blessed with fine, sunny weather almost year round.

Then again, they never liked us "wogs" to begin with. (a major reason I never want to visit Australia. I don't want people treating me like dirt and spitting on me, because of my ethnic background) What? :nuts: You really think that will happen to you? Wogs or WOPS as they're called where you are, is a derogatory term, but that's been turned into a badge of honour after a Greek-Australian comedian conceived Australia's longest running and most successful theatre production, called Wogs Out of Work. Sure, there were nasty times for our parents and grand-parents and no doubt prejudice and hostility stiill exists (like anywhere), but the age of ascent has long been achieved and Greeks, Italians and other 'wogs' are well represented in all fields and classes these days. In fact the statistics for tertiary education attainment for Greek-Australians is higher than the Australian average. You're living in the dark past my friend.

And you can believe what you want to believe.

Again, please don't misinterpret my post as an attempt to divert attention from constructive criticism. It just irks me when people make false comparisons with other countries. I never say that I'm always right. In fact I admit I could be wrong with some of my views and points. However criticism should be honest and constructive. No need to hit below the belt.

Take care...

True, Latin American destinations are really far from the major markets and the quality of the offered services still lack behind their NorthAmerican and European counterparts. Though, there's one exception to the rule and it has a name...Mexico.

Mexico has only recently started to offer "top notch services". The country received 21 million visitors in 2006, placing Mexico in the top 10 tourism destinations that year...but that number is proportionally a smaller number than Greece's, when you factor in the fact that Greece is much smaller than Mexico (both in area and population), and also considering that the Mediterranean region is far more competitive (Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey, Tunisia, etc). Greece -a far smaller country than Mexico- received 17 million visitors in 2006, inching up on Mexico's rank.

And unfortunately, the vast majority of visitors to Mexico are sun-seeking travelers, most of whom never leave their resorts (a terirble pity, because there's a LOT to Mexico). In places like Cancún, which is an American colony in Mexico. Albeit, the quality of tourism/hospitality services offered in Mexico to sun-seeking Americans and Canadians has improved dramatically in the past decade.

However, I think Mexico can do much better. You know how we always say that "China is the Greece of Asia" or "Greece is the China of Europe"....well, Mexico is the Greece/China of the Americas in a way. Most nation-states in the Americas trace their beginnings to European colonization in the 15th and 16th centuries (USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, etc)...but Mexico has had major civilizations on its soil for much longer than that, going back to the Toltecs, a major civilization that predate the Aztecs. So, you have a wealth of historical sites in Mexico, not only from the pre-Columbian era, but also from 300 years of Spanish rule which brought Christianity and the Spanish language to Mexico, along with European architecture which the Mexicans fused with their own indegenous architectural forms (like bright color schemes unique to Mexico). Modern-day Mexicans trace their ancestry both to the Indian civilizations (Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs, Zapotecs, etc) and to the European invaders, and their culture reflects this fusion, everywhere in the country from their cuisine, to their architecture, and their holidays. It's a fascinating country rich in culture...unfortunately few tourists make the effort to explore this. I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I think that -aside from the coastal resorts- Mexico's tourism and transportation industries need much more development, in order to fully take advantage of the country's incredible potential. There's also the issue of crime: crime levels are very high in Mexico, although, to be fair, crime tends to be concentrated in certain areas I believe (like Mexico City and the US border area), and tends to be low in areas like Guanajuato, Puerto Vallarta, Mérida, and Oaxaca (architectural/cultural GEMS). Also -to be fair- the Mexican tourism industry is hurting from the new American travel requirements: prior to 9/11 Americans did not need a passort to travel to Mexico and re-enter the United States. But now they do, and few Americans have a passport.



Wrong, it's one of the most varied and healthiest worldwide, making it more popular day by day in other parts of the world, there're even TV programs in major broadcasting channels dedicated exclusively to the Greek cuisine!! Believe me, Greek food and wine are doing really good in foreign markets nowadays; and the three keys of the secret that makes it so popular now that it has been discovered by the rest of the world, is the fact of its simplicity, healthiness and most importantly the variety of its flavors. It's as varied as the landscapes of our country, so having each one of our regions offering something different for us to taste.

I hope so.

Here in the US, people don't know much about Greek cuisine. Other than gyros, moussaka, and baklava. :ohno: As much as I see the BBC raving about how healthy Greek cuisine is (and from what I understand, Greek and Mediterranean cuisines are becoming trendy in Britain??), I can't say the same for the US. Even the much-sensationalized Italian cuisine: "Italian" restaurants are everywhere here, but only 2% of these "Italian" restaurants actually serve real Italian cuisine. The rest just serve pizza and spaghetti with sausage. French restaurants? forget it. They put a half kiwi on a plate with parsely, they charge you an exorbitant fare, and they call it "French" cuisine...a real insult for those of us who know what real French food is: the hearty meals that they actually eat in France.

Greek National Tourism Organization and Ε! Entertainment reach a deal

Σύμφωνο συνεργασίας με το Διεθνές Δίκτυο Ε! Entertainment, το μοναδικό δίκτυο που εξυπηρετεί σε 24ωρη βάση τον κόσμο της ψυχαγωγίας υπέγραψε το υπουργείο Τουριστικής Ανάπτυξης και ο Ελληνικός Οργανισμός Τουρισμού.
Η συμφωνία προβλέπει την προβολή της νέας διαφημιστικής καμπάνιας της Ελλάδας για ένα χρόνο σε πανευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο, τόσο τηλεοπτικά όσο και στο internet, αλλά και την παρουσία του Ελληνικού Οργανισμού Τουρισμού σε ?red carpet?, υψηλού επιπέδου γεγονότα, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των μεγάλων τελετών βραβεύσεων και φεστιβάλ ταινιών, όπως αυτά των Καννών και της Ρώμης. Επιπλέον, ο ΕΟΤ θα είναι ο κύριος χορηγός των νέων ιστοσελίδων του Ε! Entertainment για τη Μεγάλη Βρετανία, τη Γαλλία, την Ιταλία και τη Γερμανία.

«Ταυτιζόμενη με τη λάμψη του Χόλυγουντ και το κόκκινο χαλί, η Ελλάδα μέσω του ΕΟΤ επιχειρεί να προσελκύσει το τζετ σετ όλης της Ευρώπης», δήλωσε ο κ. Brad Wald, Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος της ιδιοκτήτριας εταιρίας του Ε! Entertainment, Comcast International Media Group. «Όλοι στο Ε!, ως «ιδιοκτήτες» του κόκκινου χαλιού, είμαστε ιδιαίτερα ικανοποιημένοι που θα βοηθήσουμε τον ΕΟΤ να αγκαλιάσει αυτό το δύσκολο κοινό και να ενισχύσει τον τουρισμό για έναν τόσο γοητευτικό προορισμό διακοπών, όπως είναι η Ελλάδα».

Source: http://www.express.gr/index.php?selida_id=102&article=101868&categ=2&lang_id=1

I'd like to share a recent observation.

My posts are very few, but I enjoy this forum with its great photo posts and informative topics.

I am a Greek-American and live in New York. I watch some Greek television, read some local Greek newspapers, and listen to some Greek radio broadcasts. Lately, I've noticed that every time I look at these media, I see ads for tourism in Greece.

The Greek media in NY is naturally marketed to the Greek Diaspora. The thought that comes to my mind is 'why would a Greek person need an ad to remind him/her to go back to Greece?' Every Greek I know, including myself, longs for the time when they are able to spend 3 or 4 weeks in Greece.

On the flip side of that coin, to my recollection, since the 2004 Olympics I have not seen a single ad in any American media. Perhaps I have not been looking in the right places, but recently I've been keeping my eyes open for them.

I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks this to be illogical...

To all who took an interest in my earlier post quoted above... In the last week both myself and my wife separately saw ads for Greek tourism on a major American television network. I watched with disbelief while eating lunch with all my coworkers (none of whom are Greek).:)

The last time I saw that was for the 2004 Olympics and, I think never before that.:nuts:

Hmm. I was watching the National Geographics Channel, and saw an GREAT commercial for Turkish tourism. (www.goturkey.com I think, and for "Antalya".)

Makes me think why Greece doesn't advertise on US TV at all...The US-Greece market seems to be growing in recent years with new airlines flying there.

Hmm. I was watching the National Geographics Channel, and saw an GREAT commercial for Turkish tourism. (www.goturkey.com I think, and for "Antalya".)

Makes me think why Greece doesn't advertise on US TV at all...The US-Greece market seems to be growing in recent years with new airlines flying there.

Greece has several advertisements in CNN....and are much better than others...
infos of the advertising campaing here
http://www.mintour.gr/pages.php?pageID=945&langID=2

It´s the year of Aris Konstantinidis.

Does anyone know of any events.

Found another forum with a Konstantindis delapodated project.

http://genesis.ee.auth.gr/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2039

Aris konstantinidis built many Xenia hotels, most notably ones like the Xenia Hotel (now Theoxenia Hotel) in Mykonos. Architects like him helped Greece to develope its tourism and turn poor rocky islands like Mykonos back then, to what they are today.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z222/Ares_K_album/mk.jpg http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z222/Ares_K_album/mk2.jpg http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z222/Ares_K_album/mk3.jpg

Today, some of those hotels are deserted, like in Iraklion, most are vastly outclassed by modern ones. But, when we are talking about tourism and how it started in Greece, you can not do it without discussing this architect.

By the way, my username, Ares_K, i took it from his name :) I am not related to him in anyway though....

So umust be a great Konstantinidis fan. Me too.

But do you Ares_K or anyone else know of any events that are supposed to occur this year since it is Aris Konstantinidis year, atleast according to the vissitGreeece website it is.

I am afraid i know nothing. Actually i had no idea until i heard from you about it. But i will try to find something if i can.

I posted here about the Aris Konstantinidis resort in PALIOURI not so long ago.

http://genesis.ee.auth.gr/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2039

Here the same link again.

I wonder if anyody knows if its available for purchace or where I could find information on property in Halkidiki.

I think it could be a great project to restore.

Just to weigh in on the presence of Greek and Turkish tourism ads in the USA- Here in New York it seems Turkey is conducting a very large advertising campaign, as I see their ads each day on bus shelters, billboards, magazines, etc. They are very beautiful and eye-catching. It also seems like a lot of people are talking about visiting Turkey.
I was seeing many ads for Greece 1-2 years ago but they seem to be mostly gone unfortunately.

As far as comments about the authenticity of Italian food in the USA, I would like to just remind that it's a huge country and our world class cities (New York, Miami, San Francisco, etc.) have an abundance of excellent authentic Italian food as well as every other national cuisine represented. I don't know what they're serving in Kansas or Idaho, I don't go to such places but of course it is probably less authentic. In general, I'm just saying we should be careful not to generalize too widely.:) It spreads disinformation to people who have never visited New York City ( including the overwhelming majority of Greeks in my observation).

Another thing in the interest of fairness: times change. Just as much of Europe is changing at a rapid pace in many ways, where an impression formed from a trip just 5 years ago may be outdated, many things are evolving in the USA as well, especially in our main cities. We aren't so stagnant over here as comments on this forum sometimes suggest.
The level of culinary sophistication has improved across the board in the past 10 years, as much of America, certainly the main cities, have been undergoing somewhat of a culinary mass education. Things like the Food Network, a hugely popular 24 hour cable channel devoted to cuisine, have raised the level of sophistication and expectations here beyond what it was 5 or even 3 years ago.
Still, in comparison I think it is fair to say that knowledge of the variety and benefit of Greek cuisine here is very limited among most people, and certainly lags behind knowledge of it in Britain where a large proportion of people have actually traveled to Greece. On a hopeful note, this may be changing as well; here in Manhattan I have noticed many Greek restaurants open recently, seemingly more each year and with higher quality. For example, Pylos, in the East Village, serves authentic and delicious Greek cooking and is one of many that have opened in recent years with great popularity.

I just want to politely add that since New York City's metro area has a population larger than many European countries, and only a few million less than all of Australia, I think it's useful in these dicussions to acknowledge and mention it as a significant and relevant exception to many of the generalizations I have observed being made here.

New York City defies the stereotypes, not just for food, but in architecture as well. It continues to evolve faster than ever. It is certainly not the city it was in the 1970's-90's. The amount of change that has happened dwarfs anything a foreigner could imagine. I have noticed an absence on this forum of accurate knowledge about New York City, both when it is referenced specifically and when it is included under blanket generalizations about the "USA".

These are random thoughts, I'm aware that I began on topic and then veered off course a bit. I just wanted to interject a few thoughts about New York, which is often misunderstood by so many Europeans, Greeks included, who are following opinions from TV shows or a trip made years ago.

To return to the topic of tourism, I think it's interesting that Turkey has successfully marketed Istanbul in a way that it has been called the current "World's Coolest City". They are publicising the pedestrianization of many streets, the appearance of sophisticated new venues, etc. Much of this is happening in Athens too and I think with some more publicity (again, it has mostly disappeared since the Olympics), the image of Athens can be extended way beyond a city of the Acropolis and museums into the vibrant and multi-faceted city that we know it truly is.

Another random thought... do you guys think American tourism to Greece will decrease as the dollar continues to fall? The increase in American visitors that happened in recent years could be reversed if the dollar continues to lose value. I know we don't make up a majority of tourists in Greece but we were known to spend money. Personally, I have to shorten my trip this year and visit less islands because everything is getting so dreadfully expensive for an American in Greece. Generally it is still cheaper to visit than Western European countries, but I wonder for how much longer.

^^

Its the same here in Sweden,there are ads all over stockholm for turkey .
Ads for greece are quite rare......

Not in Amsterdam. Just rececently the billboards on many (if not all) metro stations had adds for Greece. There was one add of Thission square in Athens which I liked a lot.

Dutch television does not air any commercials from the Greek National Tourism Organisation. On the other hand the international TV stations like CNN International, BBC World, Euro News, Euro Sport, NGC, Discovery Channel etc. do.

I saw a lot of adds for Greek tourism on TV in Japan when I was there a few weeks ago. It appears Greece is targetting wealthier Japanese, Korean and Chinese tourists rather than the same old northern European markets.

Greek tourism is going to have to move upscale, because they'll never compete with prices in Croatia, Bulgaria and Turkey. Greek hotels and attractions will need to consider the higher standards affluent tourists demand, especially those from the far east nations.

In tourism as in everything else it's a moving target. You have to stay nimble and adjust to market demands.

I also saw a lot of poster adds for Greek tousim in Berlin, Germany last month. It's apparent the German market is not being ignored.

Sodnal is correct. GNTO appears to be focusing in on major emerging markets such as Japan, China, Gulf States and Russia. These economies will/already have significant populations with high disposable incomes in the future, so why not get in early and win them over.

not a lot of greek ads here in the UK either.
i see more turkish ads than greek ones.
still though when i have a chat with the locals here they are talking about greece,their trip to the country and how great all the people were!
thats what makes me proud!
when they say about turkey though.....i show them my dislike and try to convince them to go to greece :P

not a lot of greek ads here in the UK either.
i see more turkish ads than greek ones.


Greece Travel Organization is focussing on those nations whose citizens tend towards upper spending on holiday. The Brits go for package deals that seek the low end on price. They're not a target nation. I've seen plenty of adds in Japan and Germany. Also in the US until last year when the dollar tanked against the EURO.

Greece will never compete with Croatia, Bulgaria and Turkey on costs. They need to bring in the high end tourists and focus on profits, not tourist numbers. Greece would be happy to stay at 17 million tourists/year if they were more from affluent nations-like Japan, Germany, China (increasing in wealth), Korea and Russia.

Greece Travel Organization is focussing on those nations whose citizens tend towards upper spending on holiday.

Greece should target both market ends. You can only be considered a world player of the tourist market if you can accommodate successfully all budgets. Spain manages that really good, it competes with Croatia and Bulgaria attracting low budget tourists plus the high end of UK, German and other central European countries. The case of Majorca should be studied in Greece.

The Brits go for package deals that seek the low end on price. They're not a target nation.

UK has the highest concentration of millionaires in West Europe and the success of Spain was based from sifting a large percentage of the high budget British tourists from their traditional tourist destinations (South France, Caribbean and the US) towards south Majorca and the Costa.
Greece is a middle size European country with thousands of resorts, choosing to compete only in the niche high end market will restrict it market share and leave many resorts half empty.

^^ I totally agree with you.

Spain manages that really good, it competes with Croatia and Bulgaria attracting low budget tourists plus the high end of UK

That's because Spain is right next door to Britain. If a Brit flies to Greece he's flown the same distance-or more-then he would to get to Croatia or Bulgaria. All things being equal they go to cheaper destinations.

Greece should focus on attracting higher end tourists rather than the package deal folks. There will always be a broad spectrum of tourists visiting Greece, but you want to attract the ones who spend more money. Better to bring in 200,000 more of them than 1,000, 000 Lager Louts, IMO.

And some good news i found at stadia.gr from a post made by Lucretius.

Five Xenia hotels designed by the architect Ares Konstantinidis are going to be preserved and restored. There is a disagreement on whether the interior should be restored to the original design or something more modern( read luxurious), but still this is a first step i was hoping to see for a long time now.

Here is the original article TaNea (http://www.tanea.gr//Article.aspx?d=20080630&nid=9048369&sn=&spid=221)

That's because Spain is right next door to Britain. If a Brit flies to Greece he's flown the same distance-or more-then he would to get to Croatia or Bulgaria. All things being equal they go to cheaper destinations.

Greece should focus on attracting higher end tourists rather than the package deal folks. There will always be a broad spectrum of tourists visiting Greece, but you want to attract the ones who spend more money. Better to bring in 200,000 more of them than 1,000, 000 Lager Louts, IMO.

I agree in part, Greece should attract more high end tourism. But I think it should also have a variety and something for everyone.

Personally i would like to see more international Conferences like this one:

"Conference on nanosciences and nanotechnologies, Thessaloniki, Greece
Event date: 2008-07-14

The fifth International Conference on Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (NN08) will be held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from 14 to 16 July.

NN08 focuses on the latest advances in nanosciences and nanotechnologies and promotes profound scientific discussions between different disciplines. Scientists from multidisciplinary research and application areas will join this conference in order to discuss the possible benefits of nanoscience and nanotechnology in their research and development efforts. In addition to oral and poster presentations and a nanotechnology instrumentation exhibition, the conference will include invited lectures from leading scientists and industry experts dedicated to the following topics:
- organic electronics and photonics and nanoelectronics;
- nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine;
- thin films, meta-materials and spintronics;
- nanomaterials, nanoengineering and nanomechanics;
- nanotechnology in energy and environment;
- theoretical and computational modelling at the nanoscale;
- nanotechnology in safety and education;
- nanometrology, instrumentation and tools;
- commercialisation of nanotechnology.

Parallel to the conference, there will be the Summer School on Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (SS-NN08) taking place from 12 to 18 July. Now in its second edition, the summer school will review the current state of knowledge in the various fields of nanosciences and nanotechnologies with a special focus on training of the next generation of researchers in the fields. SS-NN08 includes lectures by distinguished scientists on current trends and state-of-the-art techniques as well as experimental demonstrations in laboratory facilities."

So, an important international conference and a summer school on the subject is an aspect of tourism we should really try and promote. Something that will offer an alternative orientation than the usual sea, sun, sex and some antiquities.

Hosting conferences like this one is a great way to broaden the base of folks you attract to Greece. I agree, this is wonderful. But it takes focussed dedication AND MONEY on the part of the Greek Tourism Agency to make these kind of things happen.

Tourism numbers looking up

ANA

Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos (second from left) told a press conference yesterday that tourist arrivals in the first six months of the year - via the country’s main airports - rose 3 percent over the same period last year, despite expectations by many of an annual drop in 2008 numbers. The number of Russian tourists jumped 35 percent on an annual basis while 15 percent more Bulgarians and Chinese have so far decided to visit Greece. The minister also pointed out that the number of cruise ships expected to visit Greece this year will be double last year’s figures.

From: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_economy_1_15/07/2008_98571

In Kavala this year while i was having some relaxation i've noticed most of the tourists where Bulgarians(never seen so many) and Germans.
I've also seen tourists from Romania,Austria and for first time i haven't seen any French and Italians.
(Just a small info)

In Kavala this year while i was having some relaxation i've noticed most of the tourists where Bulgarians(never seen so many) and Germans.
I've also seen tourists from Romania,Austria and for first time i haven't seen any French and Italians.
(Just a small info)

Better Ellis...
the Hellenic tourist organization results shows that Balkan touristare spending more per person than the "rich" north European visitors..most of them especially Romanian they have the greek mentality on vacations spending even their last money to enjoy as much....
Not to mention the Russians...which is by far the best tourists..
an other intresting thing is the behaviour of all these nations...is by far much better than the british or italians where on the places they go ,the unstop drinking and bad behaviour even crime activities take place....
Seems Bulgarians and Romanians are respecting more the country they visit....

The Brits can stay home. Between drunken debauchery and urinating in the streets they're about as welcome as flies at a rib roast. Sorry to paint with a broad brush, but we've seen far too many examples of British 'guest behavior' in Greece, Cyprus and elsewhere over the years. They don''t know to behave, frankly. :ohno:

^^ They do have a somewhat bad reputation

It's not just a current-day phenomenon that the British are considered bad tourists; even in 2002 they were voted the World's Worst Tourists. More recent surveys have focused on how often Brits get arrested overseas, with 1,549 British tourists being arrested in Spain alone last year. There were also a large number of arrests in the US, Cyprus, France and Germany, and the British Embassy in Prague reported a "disproportionate number" of arrests, usually related to drunken behavior.

In Greece, local residents and business-owners in Malia on Crete actually held a protest against British tourists, because "they get drunk, they exhibit themselves in front of our eyes", and apparently get stuck into a bit of random violence and vandalism too. You can't blame the Greeks for a bit of ill-feeling, especially after the 2003 incident when a British tourist bit the nose off a bartender who was trying to throw him out. So beware of holidaying Brits.

source (source)



However, as of late others have also been accused of unbecoming behaviour.

Expedia survey rates the world's worst tourists

by Abha Malpani Jun 25th 2008 @ 8:30AM

The French, Indians, and the Chinese have been voted as the world's worst tourists by a group of 4000 hoteliers, in a survey conducted by online travel search engine Expedia. On the other hand, the best tourists are 1) Japanese 2) British and Germans.

Yup, looks like the annoying and continuous photo taking of everything in sight by the Japanese, and the drunken stag parties of the British and the Germans do not lay room for complaint, thanks to their wonderful behavior, manners, generosity, willingness to integrate themselves into a new culture -- criteria on which the nationalities were rated.

Interestingly enough, a similar survey was conducted by Expedia 6 years ago and it tagged the British, Danish and Irish as the worst. The British were voted as the "rudest, worst-behaved, most linguistically incompetent and least adventurous holiday makers." Ouch. What's for that drastic change from best to worst?

Anyway, I hate such generalizations because I think an entire race can't be blamed for the misdoings of a bunch of people. Surveys like this are interesting insight, but nothing more.

source (source)



So let's not generalise and point the finger at the Brits alone or anyone else.

Drunken passengers force flight to land in Germany Sat Jul 26, 11:47 AM ET



Two drunken British women went on a rampage on a charter plane, hitting one flight attendant with a bottle of vodka and trying to open a cabin door as the aircraft was cruising over Austria at 10,000 meters (32,800 feet), police said Saturday.

The staff on the flight from Greece to England eventually forced the women back to their seats and the pilot made an emergency in Frankfurt on Thursday, police told The Associated Press, confirming a statement they had issued on Friday.

The identities of the women, aged 26 and 27, were not released, but police said the 26-year-old may be charged with attempted assault and interfering with air traffic.

Both women were released, police said.

The rampage occurred when a flight attendant denied the women alcohol because they were visibly intoxicated, police said. The 26-year-old took a swipe at a cabin attendant with a bottle of vodka, then attempted to open a cabin door.

"Apparently the 26-year-old wanted to catch some fresh air," the statement said, in an effort to make light of the altercation.

The two women were taken into custody by police at the Frankfurt airport and given a breathalyzer test. Both were legally intoxicated.

After an hour in Frankfurt, the flight continued on to Manchester, England.


:ohno:

^^ I just found this latest news as well. :|

Curse of the boozy Britons returns to Greek resorts

Foreign Office is launching an anti-rape campaign as resorts are invaded by young holidaymakers

Helena Smith in Athens
The Observer, Sunday July 27 2008
Article history

In the seaside resort of Faliraki it is a good year for Mayor Ioannis Iatrides. 'Mercifully our clientele this summer is a wonderful mix of people from all over Europe who know how to peacefully enjoy their time in the sun,' he enthuses. 'There are far fewer Britons, which means no rapes, no accidents, no drunken debauchery, no going on the rampage. I'm so relieved.'

But Iatrides's cause for cheer is someone else's headache. While Faliraki might be shaking off its notoriety as a 'modern-day Sodom', young Britons are still flocking to its neighbours in search of sun, sex and a hedonistic nightlife. Sometimes the result has been rape or even death, leaving bewildered Greeks to ask: what is wrong with the British?

In Malia on Crete, for example, the tourist season may barely have begun, but already a seemingly non-stop stream of Britons, many in their teens and most on their first trip abroad, have passed through the local courts. Evangelos Rossakis, the owner of a local supermarket, was last night recovering at home after being attacked by six British youths who had beaten him 'black and blue' because he had dared to ask them to drive less recklessly on quad bikes through the resort. Rossakis says his injuries are nothing next to the damage the teenagers later inflicted on his shop - or the time when a Briton bit off the nose of a bartender who asked him to leave.

Malia hasn't reported a sexual assault yet. But in Cavos, on Corfu, last week four Northern Irishmen were charged with gang-raping an English tourist, an act they allegedly filmed on their phones.

Meanwhile in Laganas, on Zakynthos, 17-year-old Matthew Cryer, from Sheffield, appears to have drunk himself to death last week; the previous week 15 English tourists were charged with 'lewd behaviour' after participating in an open-air oral sex contest.

'What is wrong with the British?' asked Yiannis Kyriakakis, a senior police officer on Crete. 'Why can't you have fun calmly? We try to be tolerant - after all, these are only kids, but we find ourselves asking why.'

Once it was Faliraki that seemed doomed as the capital of Brits behaving badly. A sleepy fishing village on the island of Rhodes, it had the misfortune in 2002 to be featured in the ITV series Club Reps, which followed the antics of holidaymakers travelling to the resort with tour operator Club 18-30. Viewers witnessed an orgy of binge-drinking, fighting, vomiting and casual sex.

The following summer, doubtless partly spurred by its TV infamy, tens of thousands descended on Faliraki, leading to dozens of arrests. Something had to be done and the Faliraki police sought advice from their counterparts in Blackpool, drawing on their experience in dealing with stag parties. A new police station opened in the centre of town staffed by 12 English-speaking officers who exercised a zero-tolerance crackdown on misbehaviour. As a result, Faliraki moved upmarket and appealed to families - but its problems merely seem to have been displaced elsewhere.

About three million Britons visit Greece every year, more than from any other country. Last summer, in a single week, there were three deaths, three cases of serious injury, three alleged rapes and nine arrests of UK citizens in 'anything goes' Laganas. Successive Greek governments have tried to improve the quality of its 'tourism product'. But they seem unable to halt the transformation of many resorts into nests of binge-drinking.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is concerned, too. This month it launched its first anti-rape campaign in Greece, following an alarming rise in sexual assaults on British women. Most victims claimed that the perpetrators were fellow UK holidaymakers. Simon Gass, the UK ambassador to Athens, said: 'Each year we see a disproportionate number of young people who get involved in arrests and sometimes even fatal accidents. We want to do more than just pick up the pieces when things go wrong and that's why we're launching this campaign to try to encourage young people to have fun on holiday but also to know their limits.' Thousands of advice-bearing posters, postcards, beermats and leaflets have been distributed at resorts popular with young Britons.

For officials such as Iatrides of Faliraki, the drive is a positive thing. 'I'm all for it,' said the mayor, who in past years has been forced to request help from British undercover policemen to patrol the streets. 'But you know these English kids will have to change character first.'

In Malia, where the locals staged protest marches against their British visitors last year, people are not hoping for quieter times. They are praying.

The size of the problem
15 million
The number of people who visit Greece each year

1,000
Britons who required hospital treatment in Greece in 2006

39
Reported rape cases last year in Greece

6,000
Bottle stoppers imported into Greece this year. They are used to prevent drinks being spiked with date rape drugs

44
The number of rapes reported by British holidaymakers between 1994 and 2002. One third of British women who are raped overseas are raped in Greece

3 million
British people who visit Greece each year

500
The number of cases involving passports lost or stolen by British nationals in Greece last year

source (source)



But remember, it only takes a few to taint the whole lot (unfortunately).

More news involving Brits behaving badly.

Drunk passengers try to open door of plane

July 27, 2008

Two drunk British women went on a rampage on a charter plane, trying to hit a flight attendant with a bottle of vodka and attempting to open a cabin door as the aircraft was cruising over Austria at 10,000 metres, police said today.

The staff on the flight from Greece to England eventually forced the women back to their seats and the pilot made an emergency landing in Frankfurt on Thursday, police told The Associated Press, confirming a statement they had issued yesterday.

The identities of the women, aged 26 and 27, were not released, but police said the 26-year-old may be charged with attempted assault and interfering with air traffic.

Both women were released, police said.

The rampage occurred when a flight attendant denied the women alcohol because they were visibly intoxicated, police said. The 26-year-old took a swipe at a cabin attendant with a bottle of vodka, then attempted to open a cabin door.

"Apparently the 26-year-old wanted to catch some fresh air," the statement said, apparently attempting to make light of the altercation.

The two women were taken into custody by police at the Frankfurt airport and given a breathalyzer test. Both were legally intoxicated.

After an hour in Frankfurt, the flight continued on to Manchester, England.

AP

source (source)



What is the matter with these people? :ohno:

I could think of a few things to describe them but I'd likely get banned. We are all probably thinking the same thing about these drunken hobos anyway.

They expect a 40% increase in Russian tourists this year. Great news.

I wonder what would have happened if this incident was in an American plane, IN American teritory...maybe some airbase would have been alerted and two kazaas summoned...just in case?

I wonder what would have happened if this incident was in an American plane, IN American teritory...maybe some airbase would have been alerted and two kazaas summoned...just in case?

Let me tell you they would have NOT been released upon landing. That is nonsense. They put the plane in serious danger.

They'd be in Guantanamo Bay right now I'd imagine. And I'm not saying that as a positive.

FROM: http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1251217501
117% Increase of Bulgarian Tourism in Greece

Updated on: 06.08.2008, 13:24
Published on: 06.08.2008, 12:52
http://images.ibox.bg/2007/03/14/%F2%F2%F2%E090%F14%EF%EE/519x346.jpg
Author: Stefan Nikolov

Bulgarian tourism in Greece has increased by 117%, in Turkey - by 2.5% compared to last year. This was announced by the Chair of the National Tourism Agency Anelia Krushkova.

According to her the local hotel owners need to realize that they have to treat Bulgarian tourists the same way they treat foreign ones and to start accepting their early reservations instead of waiting for contracts with big tour operators. Krushkova will be spending her vacation at the Bulgarian seaside as she has made her reservation through a foreign tour operator because this way is cheaper.

EUR 40 million are needed for Bulgaria's advertisement. This was announced by the Chair of the National Tourism Board Krasimir Gergov. According to him a certain percentage of the national advertisement must be collected from tourism income.

and


FROM: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=95816
Bulgarian Visits to Greece Up By 117%

5 August 2008, Tuesday

The number of Bulgarians spending their vacations in Greece has increased by 117% compared to the year 2007 while for Turkey this number has increased by 2,5% as announced by Aneliya Krushkova, Chair of the Bulgarian State Tourist Agency.

Krushkova further explained that local hotel owners would need to realize very soon that they must treat Bulgarian visitors as they treat foreign ones and to accept early reservations from Bulgarians instead of waiting for contracts with the biggest tour operators.

Krushkova, herself, was going to spend her summer vacation on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, but she had made her reservation through a foreign tour operator due to the lower price.

Krasimir Gergov, Chair of the National Tourist Board explained that over EUR 40 M are needed for tourist advertising in Bulgaria. Gergov believes that a percentage of profits from tourism have to be set aside for advertising.

Ways to advertise Bulgarian tourism are included in the agenda of the second meeting of tourist investors planned for September. The event is going to be held under the patronage of Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

"Right now, when we are faced with those negative reports about Bulgaria coming from the European Commission, we still fail to advertise Bulgaria's positive sides. For example we do not have an ad proving that Bulgaria has a 10% income tax. Other countries would have used it," Gergov explained.

Aneliya Krushkova, on her part, announced that the State Tourist Agency was developing several projects to be financed by the operational "Regional Development" program with a total value of over BGN 8 M.

The projects include the creation of a new Agency website with possibilities for online reservations, virtual connection between the State Agency and other tourist agencies and others.

A total of 42 projects are in the works while the first ones would be ready to be presented by September.

The opening up of new markets is always welcome.

Interesting to see such a big increase in Bulgarian tourists.

Has EU accession got anything to do with it I wonder?
BTW, there was almost 19 million tourists in Greece last year, a bit of a shock.
I wonder if Greece hit 20 million this year?

although it is september you can still see lots of bulgarian tourists in greece(in the northern part,i dont know about the rest of greece)

What will be 2009 campaign? They better replace this years the true experience blunder.
Explore your sense tv ad was much better.

I can recall i saw something about announcement of the 2009 campaign in philoxenia 2008 ..but not really sure for it :(

Yeah, this year's Ad was sub-par compared to past ads in my opinion. Let's see what 2009 holds, although the Ministry of Tourism predicts a "rocky 2009". (http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/10/20/afx5578541.html)

I had high hopes for the new head of the Ministry, but I have yet to see any of the big online advertisements and such he talked about.

I hate to compare Greece's Ad's with Turkey again, but Turkey's ad campaign this year was great. Great look, and I saw it on a number of American Channels as well.

Has anybody been to the National Archeological Museum lately??
Went last week and almost died of a heart attack. Right next to it, on a pedestrian road that leads to the Ministry of Politismou, there were about 150-200 JUNKIES.

Never seen such a thing. I saw a guy injecting heroin, people dealing drugs, AT LEAST 8-10 people on the floor completely drugged out.

Oh, and when i was leaving a group of junkies robbed someone and left running...

Great image we show in this country!!!

Worst thing, all the cops that were at the ministry were less than 100 meters away.

I wonder if the MINISTER ever goes to his office. I bet he doesnt because there is no way he wouldnt have seen that.

It's a SHAME that tourist see that, especially when it's next to perhaps the most important museum in greece..

Sure we'll reach the 20 million tourists next year hahaha

P.S. I forgot to mention that it was at 4pm!!!

If that happens during daylight, at night I guess you can even buy nuclear weapons there. Or perhaps the chemical and biological weapons that the americans didnt find in Iraq hahaha

Is all you do on this forum complain like an old lady?
Your like another Neorin ffs!!

Whats more embarrassing is the constant complaining from some Greeks. THAT is a national DISGRACE! You should be ashamed of your self, representing your country online in such a disgraceful manner. Shame on you, SHAME SHAME SHAME!

1821: This is a forum. I believe that the purpose of it is to express our views and experiences, good ones, as well as bad ones.

The fact that you live in wonderland with michael jackson is your own
problem.

We are talking about tourism and this is related to it. It's not about complaining, it's about discussing a problem that I believe is very important.

1821: This is a forum. I believe that the purpose of it is to express our views and experiences, good ones, as well as bad ones.

The fact that you live in wonderland with michael jackson is your own
problem.

We are talking about tourism and this is related to it. It's not about complaining, it's about discussing a problem that I believe is very important.

And I insist that your purpose of being in this forum is NOT to discuss but to judge and defame Greece. I agree that junkies near the Archeological museum is a national disgrace and that the Authorities in this country dont do their job very well, but the very particular dericive tone of yours while describing and analysing this phenomenon is a clear indication that you are not concerned about discussing but more about exposing in a most humiliating manner (hence you only write in English) negative aspecst (which every country has) which can be discussed in a different way.
I have doubts you are a Greek. Of course you could still be but most probably not. In either case this forum provides you the outlet to burst your own anger by insulting.

WELKOME BACK NMK.
YOU ARE THE ONE WHO THINKS THAT GREECE IS A SHAMEFULL MESS AND SHE DISGUSTS YOU RIGHT?AND YOU SAY(I DONT BELIEVE IT) THAT YOU ARE OF GREEK ORIGIN BORN IN LATIN AMERICA AND LIVED IN CANADA AND USA.
JUST REMINDING THE OTHER FORUMERS

I think we found another numb nuts to replace Neorion.

Good news about Greek tourism. For what it's worth I haven't seen ANY Turk tourism commercials in the US, but plenty of Greek commercials.

I think we found another numb nuts to replace Neorion.

Good news about Greek tourism. For what it's worth I haven't seen ANY Turk tourism commercials in the US, but plenty of Greek commercials.

Lol. Opposite for me. And I have been specifically watching channels like National Geographics, CNN, ect. to look out for them. :nuts:

WELKOME BACK NMK.
YOU ARE THE ONE WHO THINKS THAT GREECE IS A SHAMEFULL MESS AND SHE DISGUSTS YOU RIGHT?AND YOU SAY(I DONT BELIEVE IT) THAT YOU ARE OF GREEK ORIGIN BORN IN LATIN AMERICA AND LIVED IN CANADA AND USA.
JUST REMINDING THE OTHER FORUMERS

I still believe that NMK is a Slavoskopjan Fyromian

1821: This is a forum. I believe that the purpose of it is to express our views and experiences, good ones, as well as bad ones.

The fact that you live in wonderland with michael jackson is your own
problem.

We are talking about tourism and this is related to it. It's not about complaining, it's about discussing a problem that I believe is very important.


You know, you sound exactly like Neorin with his back in a corner.
Let me just make this clear. There is no issue here with criticism of Greece.
Many of us do it. But we also have good things to say and we are also optimistic for change. We do not spend all our time criticising Greece on its wrongs. Like you are doing, which is exactly what Neorin was doing.

So until you stop being constantly critical and always complaining, you will be this forums nominated whiny old lady.

You may think your actually intelligent or unique, but your actually a fool who nobody takes seriously. More of a pain in ones side, then anything else.

"You may think your actually intelligent or unique, but your actually a fool who nobody takes seriously. More of a pain in ones side, then anything else."


Then you moust be a bigger fool than me for wasting your time to reply to ALL of my posts.

Makes little sense, but eh, whatever floats your boat.

Just saw that Greece ads are running on Fashion TV. This is a great place to advertise; good demographic, large and broad viewership, the channel is broadcast worldwide. The ad was in French.

Ah good old fashion tv lol.
That channel is everywhere.

FROM: http://www.easybourse.com/bourse-actualite/marches/update-greek-min-tourism-may-fare-better-than-expected-572051

UPDATE: Greek Min: Tourism May Fare Better Than Expected

Tuesday December 2nd, 2008 / 14h42

(Adds details.) ATHENS -(Dow Jones)- Greek tourism, a linchpin of Greece's service-oriented economy, may weather the impact of the financial crisis better than many people expect, Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos said Tuesday.

The reasons are manifold, said Spiliotopoulos, who cited factors ranging from last week's attacks in Mumbai to changing travel trends of Europeans and Americans.

"So far with the data that we have, the data show that we shouldn't be complacent, but nor should we talk about catastrophe [in tourism]," Spilotopoulos said at a conference. "The indicators we have show that we shouldn't be deeply worried."

With its white-washed villages and sunny islands, Greece is one of the world's 20 most popular tourist destinations and hosts more than 15 million tourists annually.

The industry, directly or indirectly, accounts for roughly 18% of gross domestic product and an estimated one in five jobs.

Following the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece has been riding a growing trend in tourist arrivals. The trend however showed some signs of weakening during this year's peak summer season.

One reason for the rising trend, say industry experts, is that Greece's incident-free staging of the Olympics helped promote an image of a relatively safe country. Indirectly, Spiliotopoulos suggested that this may still work to Greece's advantage after the recent attacks in Mumbai or the ongoing occupation of Bangkok's two main airports by political protesters.

"It's one thing to talk about the world tourism market before the attacks in India. It's another thing to talk about that market after the attacks," said Spiliotopoulos.

But Spiliotopoulos also referred to data showing that to date, world tourism has not yet been severely hit by the financial crisis. One example, he said, is that winter tourism this year is up 20%. That's thanks to heavy snowfalls in Europe which have brought skiers to the slopes earlier, but it also shows that leisure spending remains high.

Other recent data show that more than 90% of British citizens - who are Greece's most enthusiastic visitors and account for roughly a third of tourist arrivals - say they have not yet been directly affected by the financial crisis.
In his remarks, Spiliotopoulos also cited World Tourism Organization data showing that most Europeans - when facing economic hardship - tend to cancel weekend and short-stay trips first, before canceling longer summer vacations to places like Greece or Spain.

"We are also seeing a domestication in travel trends," said Spiliotopoulos. "This year we are seeing more Europeans staying at home and more Americans staying in the U.S., which is a reversal of previous trends."
"If anything is falling apart, it is the U.S. tourist industry that is collapsing," he said.

-By Alkman Granitsas, Dow Jones Newswires; +30 210 331 2881; Source : Dowjones Business News

Sure it's going to fare better after all what's happenning..
Oops, I forgot I'm suppossed to wave a happy face flag in this forum hahahaha

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z188/ovem/28-5.jpg

LIVE YOUR MYTH IN GREECE!!
Sadly, its more of a grim reality....

A SHORT PERIOD OF UNERST, WHIHC MAY HAPPEN (AND IT DOES HAPPEN) IN EVERY SOCIETY DOES NOT GUARRANTEE THE DEMISE OF A COUNTRY OR OF A COUNTRY'S TOURIST INDUSTRY. EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT EVEN IN EGYPT THE TOURIST INDUSTRY, SO MANY TIMES PLAGUED BY TERRORIST ATTACKS ON INNOCENT TOURISTS, ALWAYS REBOUNDS A FEW MONTHS LATER AFTER THE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT MILLIONS OF TOURISTS WILL POUR AGAIN INTO GREECE, LEAVING YOUR "EXOTIC" LAKE OCHRID OUT IN THE COLD
:lol:

Sure it's going to fare better after all what's happenning..
Oops, I forgot I'm suppossed to wave a happy face flag in this forum hahahaha

I have been criticized MANY times for making complaints about different things I have seen lately in my country..

What do you ALL say about this though? Because I havent seen any reply in response to this issues. LOCAL ELLINARES are destroying their own country and YOU people completely blast at me for just posting a complaint????

BTW, awesome picture Giorgio, even though it is sad to watch it, it depicts very well the situation!!!

First of all nor you and not even us have a clue on who is behind all these things, and i assure you its not as simple as you put it... but since this is the tourism thread, in any case tourism industry is heavily based on our islands rather than Athens itself, and whether there obviously is "damage" in the image of the country as a tourist destination i believe summer will be normal after all.

I have been criticized MANY times for making complaints about different things I have seen lately in my country..

NMK YOU ARE A LITTLE LIAR...THIS IS NOT YOUR COUNTRY.I KNOW YOU SPEAK A BIT OF GREEK BUT I CAN EASILY TELL BY YOUR POSTS THAT YOU DONT COME FROM THIS COUNTRY,IT IS SO OBVIOUS....
LET ME HAVE A GUESS,ARE YOU FROM ALBANIA?
THE DAY YOU WILL TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WERE YOU COME FROM I WILL RESPECT YOU MORE.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z222/Ares_K_album/capslock.jpg

not only it makes posts more difficult to read, it also means shouting in Forums.

NMK YOU ARE A LITTLE LIAR...THIS IS NOT YOUR COUNTRY.I KNOW YOU SPEAK A BIT OF GREEK BUT I CAN EASILY TELL BY YOUR POSTS THAT YOU DONT COME FROM THIS COUNTRY,IT IS SO OBVIOUS....
LET ME HAVE A GUESS,ARE YOU FROM ALBANIA?
THE DAY YOU WILL TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WERE YOU COME FROM I WILL RESPECT YOU MORE.

He could be from any three of our "friendly" neighbours. Quite a few of them know Greek. It is clear who is and isn't Greek, but this isn't the thread for those discussions, so please guys lets not ruin another thread with pointless crap.

Just put people you don't like on Ignore.

those people that are burning everything are greeks... maybe i should join them... well, I have enough brains no to act like an animal..

P.S, i know who is causing this.. Is purely political. pasok, kke, siriza, etc etc etc..

Well glad that you do know, but allow me to have a different opinion, and guys ..take it easy:)

Despite all the chaos around us there is some interesting and encouraging tourism news.

Farmont to invest EUR 60 milion in fromer Club med hotel in Corfu

Σε μια δύσκολη, παγκοσμίως, οικονομική συγκυρία, η οποία αναμένεται να επηρεάσει και τον ελληνικό τουρισμό το 2009, η καναδικών συμφερόντων ξενοδοχειακή αλυσίδα Farmont με έντονη διεθνή παρουσία αποφάσισε να «επενδύσει» για πρώτη φορά στην ελληνική ξενοδοχειακή αγορά.

Προχθές το βράδυ -την ίδια ώρα που ελάμβαναν χώρα τα τραγικά επεισόδια στην Αθήνα- υπογραφόταν στην πρωτεύουσα συμβόλαιο για την ανάληψη της διαχείρισης ξενοδοχειακής μονάδας (πρώην Club Med) στην Κέρκυρα μεταξύ εκπροσώπων της Farmont και εκπροσώπων της ιδιοκτήτριας ρωσικών συμφερόντων εταιρείας του. Το εν λόγω ξενοδοχείο έχει ιστορική αξία για την ελληνική ξενοδοχία αλλά και την ομώνυμη γαλλική αλυσίδα καθώς αποτέλεσε το πρώτο Club Med εκτός της Γαλλίας, ένα από τα πρώτα στην Ελλάδα και το πρώτο στην Κέρκυρα που λειτούργησε με διεθνή επωνυμία. Η μονάδα άνοιξε το 1953 στην Κέρκυρα με την πρωτοποριακή για την εποχή φιλοσοφία πέραν της διαμονής οι πελάτες να μπορούν να αξιοποιήσουν και μια σειρά δραστηριοτήτων που παρείχε ως πρόσθετες υπηρεσίες το ξενοδοχείο. Ηταν η αρχή για την Club Med για την επέκταση στη συνέχεια του δικτύου της σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο.

Πενήντα πέντε χρόνια μετά, το ίδιο ξενοδοχείο συνδέει το όνομά του με μία ακόμη σημαντική ξένη ξενοδοχειακή αλυσίδα που πατάει για πρώτη φορά το πόδι στη χώρα μας. To 2003 η μονάδα εξαγοράσθηκε από ομάδα Ελλήνων επενδυτών και το 2006 πέρασε στην ιδιοκτησία της εταιρείας Corfu Gardens, η οποία έχει μετόχους Ρώσους επενδυτές. Από το 2003 παραμένει κλειστή. Οι Ρώσοι αναζητούσαν όλο το προηγούμενο διάστημα μια διεθνή αλυσίδα να αναλάβει τη διαχείριση του ξενοδοχείου την οποία βρήκαν στο όνομα της Farmont. Σύμφωνα με το επιχειρηματικό πλάνο των Ρώσων θα επενδυθεί το ποσό των 60 εκατ. ευρώ στην ξενοδοχειακή μονάδα, η οποία εκτιμάται ότι θα επαναλειτουργήσει μεταξύ 2012-2013. Σήμερα η εταιρεία βρίσκεται στη διαδικασία των σχετικών αδειοδοτήσεων για την έναρξη της επένδυσης. Το ξενοδοχείο βρίσκεται στον Δήμο Φαιάκων 15 χλμ. από την πόλη της Κέρκυρας. Αναπτύσσεται σε περιβάλλοντα χώρο 265 στρεμμάτων και θα έχει δυναμικότητα 240 δωματίων. Ο σχεδιασμός του είναι τέτοιος ώστε να προάγει την τοπική αρχιτεκτονική και να υπάρχει απόλυτος σεβασμός στο περιβάλλον. Θα καταταχθεί στην κατηγορία των 5 αστέρων και άνω. Στόχος ιδιοκτήτριας και διαχειρίστριας εταιρείας για την προώθηση του ξενοδοχείου είναι να αξιοποιηθούν τα διεθνή κανάλια πώλησης της Farmont αλλά και η προσέλκυση Ρώσων τουριστών.

Η Farmont με έδρα το Τορόντο διαθέτει υπερπολυτελή ξενοδοχεία σε παραθεριστικούς και αστικούς προορισμούς. Γνωστά ξενοδοχεία υπό τη διεύθυνσή της είναι το Plaza στη Νέα Υόρκη και το Savoy στο Λονδίνο, το οποίο τελεί υπό ανακαίνιση και αναμένεται να επαναλειτουργήσει τους πρώτους μήνες του 2009.

Υπό την εταιρική ομπρέλα της Farmont βρίσκονται και οι ξενοδοχειακές επωνυμίες Raffles και Swissotel συνυφασμένες με την πολυτέλεια. Eνα από τα πλέον γνωστά Raffles λειτουργεί στη Σιγκαπούρη, ενώ άξιο μνείας είναι το Swissotel της Κωνσταντινούπολης με μέτωπο στον Βόσπορο.

Σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες και η Raffles έχει έρθει σε συμφωνία για την ανάληψη της διαχείρισης ξενοδοχείου που πρόκειται να ανεγερθεί στη δυτική Πελοπόννησο και συγκεκριμένα στην ευρύτερη περιοχή της Αρχαίας Ολυμπίας.

Source: www.kathimerini.gr

On another note, I keep seeing the "Explore Your Senses" ad from 2007 on Ant1 Satellite recently. You would think they would play the 2008 ad.

Speaking of that, should they really be spending money on advertising to Greeks anyway?

tourism will be absolutely fine,especially in the summer,i don't see why you 're so pessimist people

^^

Agree... Greece is famous for its islands anyway. Maybe its going to be a little worst for Athens. Maybe not...

You're deluding yourself. These riots will drive away a lot of potential revenue. Greeks are their own worst enemies, just like always.

From Chicagoago:
Yikes. My parents had just started looking into a vacation to Athens. They take 1 trip a year and this year they were excited about Greece. I know it'll all be over by February, but they're 60 years old and it made them nervous. They changed their plans to somewhere in the US. Such a shame when people riot and destroy property over issues. It VERY rarely does ANY good.

Of course they will have a negative effect. I dont think it will be long term, but certainly in the short term (right now at least) it will have a devastating effect, especially because it's christmas time and remember that a lot of greeks from abroad come here for the holidays. It's a shame this happens when the economy is going south..

Which talking about it, yes we are all aware that the economy cant and wont be groing at 4% per year like before, but there has been TOO much pessimism about it. I blame for that the media, which plays a big psycooligical role in that.

Remember that other countries are in FAAAAAR worse situations, and my reasons for saying that I think it wont be as bad in greece as people think are the following:

1.- Greece doesnt produce much. We are not an industrial country, we dont export much (besides food stuff mostly, which in any case, it doesnt suffer as much as other sectors). We dont have car plants, electronic factories, etc.

2.- We do not receive much of FDI (foreign direct investment) like other countries such as poland, hungary, czech republic, etc etc. Those coutnries economies' were used to grow at very high levels partly due to FDI, and now that there is a world economic crisis they would suffer.

3.- Our banks are not so much exposed to toxic loans and are still profitable, which is a big positive aspect for us.

4.- Yes we are heavily dependant on toursim, but we offer something that other european countries dont have (SUN, ISLANDS, BEACHES), and those who offer it, france, spain, italy, etc are probably more expensive than us and not as good as our islands. Besides, it is a good chance that greeks that are used to traveling abroad will do more internal traveling next year..

What do you guys think??

Of course they will have a negative effect. I dont think it will be long term, but certainly in the short term (right now at least) it will have a devastating effect, especially because it's christmas time and remember that a lot of greeks from abroad come here for the holidays. It's a shame this happens when the economy is going south..

Which talking about it, yes we are all aware that the economy cant and wont be groing at 4% per year like before, but there has been TOO much pessimism about it. I blame for that the media, which plays a big psycooligical role in that.

Remember that other countries are in FAAAAAR worse situations, and my reasons for saying that I think it wont be as bad in greece as people think are the following:

1.- Greece doesnt produce much. We are not an industrial country, we dont export much (besides food stuff mostly, which in any case, it doesnt suffer as much as other sectors). We dont have car plants, electronic factories, etc.

2.- We do not receive much of FDI (foreign direct investment) like other countries such as poland, hungary, czech republic, etc etc. Those coutnries economies' were used to grow at very high levels partly due to FDI, and now that there is a world economic crisis they would suffer.

3.- Our banks are not so much exposed to toxic loans and are still profitable, which is a big positive aspect for us.

4.- Yes we are heavily dependant on toursim, but we offer something that other european countries dont have (SUN, ISLANDS, BEACHES), and those who offer it, france, spain, italy, etc are probably more expensive than us and not as good as our islands. Besides, it is a good chance that greeks that are used to traveling abroad will do more internal traveling next year..

What do you guys think??

Could not agree with you more!!!!!!!!! Please send this to the idiots at Alter, Star, Ant-1, Mega and other sensationalist media!

Although, I disagree with you on one point. We do produce more than what you are stating above and exports have increased dramatically over the past years. But since this is never ever discussed in the media whose main aim is to spread mizeria few are aware of that.

Sorry I said that we dont produce much. I meant that Greece is not a export-oriented economy. Our trade balance is negative by a huge margin. We do not have very big industries like other countries such as germany, france, italy, uk, etc etc. We dont produce cars, planes, arms, and many other finished goods.
In times like these, this might be in our advantage because we wont se massive layoffs like other countries have seen. For example, Spain (which used to be up until recently the motor of growth in europe) is in a ver bad shape currently. Unemployment has skyrocketed and it's going to get much worse.

Also, one thing that I didnt mentioned above, is that in general terms, Greeks dont invest so heavily in world markets (shares, bonds, futures, comodities, SPECULATIVE real estate). Most greeks invest in real estate but not like people did in the USA and Spain where one person with a monthly salary of $4000 for example would buy 3-4 houses to resell in the future.

Also, greek's debt level (even thought they it has risen alarmly in the last few years) is still below the european average.

I do have something against the greek media and that is because it is not impartial. It follows a political path and we recently saw that in the last few days. You had these people at ALPHA channel saying bye bye Nea Dimokratia etc.

Also, they were blaming the government for absolutely everything. First for what happened with the crazy criminal cop, and then saying that the police wasnt doing anything to stop the riots. However, if the police would use force (which was necesarry to stop the burning of buildings, etc) they would once again stress that the police was using "unnecessary force"

I dont belong to any particular political party but it did annoy me to see all the media taking political sides which I think is IMMORAL and should be punished by the law because I personally attribute many of the things that happened to them!

In the past couple of years, Athens has actually drawn in a number of tourists that like to spend/experience Christmas in Athens. Around Christmas time, there are usually a record number of flights to and from Athens to other European cities. (Of course Greeks leave, but Tourists also come)

I don't think this will happen this year. We have yet to see if this will be long term or short term. But Greece built up their image as a safe and friendly country for tourists for years now. It's a shame something like this happened. But I have a feeling this will effect us mostly in the short term only.

^^

I agree with you. Its not the end.

In France wasn't. In New York wasn't. In London wasn't. In Madrid wasn't.
In Mumbai will not.

Maybe as you said for a sort time of period.

It wasn't terrorism anyways. Domestic problems.

Who wants to visit a nation where violent kiddies are destroying businesses, attacking police and the political leaders are in hiding? I sure wouldn't.

This will have a profound effect on tourist revenue coming into Greece. Incomes will go down and Greeks will be biching about how they can't make any money.

Instead of focussing on the riots and passing laws to come down hard on rioters Greeks will react by voting in PASOK to print a bunch of money and hire a bunch of do-nothings to sit in offices, smoke cigarettes and drink coffee.

I've seen it a million times. Greeks AVOID addressing the real problems and instead vote in politicians who promise them easy money and cush jobs. They never learn. Never.

^^

Trust me in 1-2 months nobody will remember. (we probably will though, especially the Ellines of Diaspora).

In summer time if the tourism indeed is reduced, it will be probably cause the economic crisis.

Guarantee...

I agree, I don't think this will have a big impact on tourism in the summer. Certainly not the doom predicted by some. People have short memories and this is not like terrorist attacks seen in other countries. People around the world understand that domestic problems will occur periodically.

Rising prices and shrinking paychecks will do far more damage to tourism than the riots. Unfortunately, Greece is not a bargain anymore and people will look elsewhere. Many people in Germany and other places talk very enthusiastic now about Croatia or the Turkish coast instead. No, it is not the same as the Greek islands but when money is tight people are forced to make tough choices. When I visited the islands last year the prices for rooms were much too high for the product...I paid 130 Euros/night in Mykonos for a tiny room without private bathroom and the size was hard to fit a suitcase next to the bed! I don't mind such a price for accommodations that are decent, but this was a crappy place, with nothing else available unless you go above 300 euros/night.:ohno: :nuts: We almost decided to sleep on the beach as if we were teenagers.
I know Mykonos is the most expensive, but in Crete I saw drastic increases in price also. When you add unfavorable exchange rates with the euro, I am afraid people in this crashing world economy will just go elsewhere or stay closer to home. Greece has always supplied good value to keep tourists as repeat customers and keep attracting middle class travelers. At prices like what I experienced, non-Greeks will not return as much. Then, some of the islanders and companies who have become greedy will have no choice but return to better deals.

"Η Δημοκρατία μας αυτοκαταστρέφεται διότι κατεχράσθη το δικαίωμα της ελευθερίας και της ισότητας, διότι έμαθε τους πολίτες να θεωρούν την αυθάδεια ως δικαίωμα, την παρανομία ως ελευθερία, την αναίδεια του λόγου ως ισότητα και την αναρχία ως ευδαιμονία."


Ισοκράτης (436 π.Χ-338 π.Χ. )

almopos h ypografh sou einai ola ta lefta......wow pou to vrikes re file?
akougetai san sxolio shmerinou koinoniologou gia ta gegonota sthn athina

*
"Η Δημοκρατία μας αυτοκαταστρέφεται ....

Lysandre, Isokrates never said that!


"Οἱ γὰρ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον τὴν πόλιν διοικοῦντες κατεστήσαντο πολιτείαν οὐκ ὀνόματι μὲν τῷ κοινοτάτῳ καὶ πραοτάτῳ προσαγορευομένην, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν πράξεων οὐ τοιαύτην τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι φαινομένην, οὐδ' ἣ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐπαίδευε τοὺς πολίτας ὥσθ' ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν μὲν ἀκολασίαν δημοκρατίαν, τὴν δὲ παρανομίαν ἐλευθερίαν, τὴν δὲ παρρησίαν ἰσονομίαν, τὴν δ' ἐξουσίαν τοῦ ταῦτα ποιεῖν εὐδαιμονίαν, ἀλλὰ μισοῦσα καὶ κολάζουσα τοὺς τοιούτους βελτίους καὶ σωφρονεστέρους ἅπαντας τοὺς πολίτας ἐποίησεν" [ΙΣΟΚΡ 7. Πίστις: §20. 20:76 "Η αξιοκρατική επιλογή των αρχόντων κατά το παρελθόν" [1].


Φυσικά, μετάφραση δεν μας χρειάζεται διότι όλοι εμείς οι Έλληνες την έχουμε μία και ενιαία και τρισχιλιετή. Επειδή όμως μπορεί να περάσει και κανείς αλλοδαπός που δεν μετέχει της ημετέρας παιδείας, μεταφράζω πρόχειρα το απόσπασμα:


Διότι εκείνοι που διοικούσαν την πόλη τότε (ενν. στην εποχή του Σόλωνα και του Κλεισθένη), δεν δημιούργησαν ένα πολίτευμα το οποίο μόνο κατ’ όνομα να θεωρείται το πιο φιλελεύθερο και το πιο πράο από όλα, ενώ στην πράξη να εμφανίζεται διαφορετικό σε όσους το ζουν· ούτε ένα πολίτευμα που να εκπαιδεύει τους πολίτες έτσι ώστε να θεωρούν δημοκρατία την ασυδοσία, ελευθερία την παρανομία, ισονομία την αναίδεια και ευδαιμονία την εξουσία του καθενός να κάνει ό,τι θέλει, αλλά ένα πολίτευμα το οποίο, δείχνοντας την απέχθειά του για όσους τα έκαναν αυτά και τιμωρώντας τους, έκανε όλους τους πολίτες καλύτερους και πιο μυαλωμένους.


Μ’ άλλα λόγια, ο Ισοκράτης δεν μίλησε για «δημοκρατία που αυτοκαταστρέφεται». Αυτό είναι προϊόν ερμηνείας, για να μην πω προϊόν φαντασίας. Όπως προϊόν φαντασίας, που καμιά σχέση δεν έχει με το πραγματικό ρητό του Ισοκράτη, είναι και η ατάκα ότι η δημοκρατία «κατεχράσθη το δικαίωμα της ελευθερίας και της ισότητας».

Για άλλη μια φορά, οι ελληναράδες χρησιμοποιούν τους αρχαίους όπως ο μεθυσμένος τον φανοστάτη: όχι για να φωτίσουν το δρόμο τους, αλλά για δεκανίκι που θα στηρίξει τα σαθρά τους επιχειρήματα.

All the above from this excellent blog: http://dimitrisdoctor2.blogspot.com/


*

I agree, I don't think this will have a big impact on tourism in the summer. Certainly not the doom predicted by some. People have short memories and this is not like terrorist attacks seen in other countries. People around the world understand that domestic problems will occur periodically.

Rising prices and shrinking paychecks will do far more damage to tourism than the riots. Unfortunately, Greece is not a bargain anymore and people will look elsewhere. Many people in Germany and other places talk very enthusiastic now about Croatia or the Turkish coast instead. No, it is not the same as the Greek islands but when money is tight people are forced to make tough choices. When I visited the islands last year the prices for rooms were much too high for the product...I paid 130 Euros/night in Mykonos for a tiny room without private bathroom and the size was hard to fit a suitcase next to the bed! I don't mind such a price for accommodations that are decent, but this was a crappy place, with nothing else available unless you go above 300 euros/night.:ohno: :nuts: We almost decided to sleep on the beach as if we were teenagers.
I know Mykonos is the most expensive, but in Crete I saw drastic increases in price also. When you add unfavorable exchange rates with the euro, I am afraid people in this crashing world economy will just go elsewhere or stay closer to home. Greece has always supplied good value to keep tourists as repeat customers and keep attracting middle class travelers. At prices like what I experienced, non-Greeks will not return as much. Then, some of the islanders and companies who have become greedy will have no choice but return to better deals.

I think they will. The economic crisis leave no margins anymore. They have to. As for Mykonos bit difficult. Cause in Mykonos there are Greek tourists as well. And most of them rich.

It's sad for me because I like to make Mykonos the last visit on my vacations, but it is getting more difficult until my wallet gets fatter. I guess I will leave it to the rich ones and to the Italians (who firmly plant their Italy flag during August:ohno:). It becomes a Roman province.

???

I didn't get this one :(

Thomas Cook boss hits out at Greek tourism minister
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/12/17/29794/thomas-cook-boss-hits-out-at-greek-tourism-minister.html

(17 December 2008)

Thomas Cook boss Manny Fontenla-Novoa has hit out at the Greek tourism minister for being “too busy” to speak to the trade at the recent World Travel Market.

Fontenla-Novoa said market statistics showed sales to the destination were 21% down while capacity had been cut across the destination for next year.

The company is urging hoteliers in the destination to review their rates as it suffers a drop in British tourist numbers alongside other euro destinations such as Spain because of the fall in value of the pound against the euro.

WTM is a key forum for tour operators and hoteliers to meet to discuss contracts, deals or specific concerns. But Fontenla-Novoa said the company, the second largest travel company in the UK, could not secure a meeting with Greek tourism minister Aris Spiliotopoulos at this year's event in London in November.

He said: “The Greek tourism minister was too busy to see anyone from the industry, which is outrageous in a market that is 21% down.”

The Greek National Tourism Organisation declined to respond to the comments.

Meanwhile, Thomas Cook is already asking hoteliers in Spain and Greece to reduce rates in light of the latest currency fluctuations in the economic downturn,

Fontenla-Novoa warned the UK travel industry faces a “torrid time” because of the poor exchange rate.

He said: “I think the pound-euro relationship will become more and more important as we go through the year. If Spanish and Greek hoteliers don’t do something about that the UK market will face a torrid time.

“We are having to go to hotels and ask them to pass some of the pain on. We do feel confident we will be able to reduce some of our rates with hotels.”

Spain was no longer a cheap destination to visit, he said, and there continued to be a shift to cheaper non-euro destinations such as Turkey and to all-inclusive holidays. Market figures show sales to Spain are 18% down, while sales to Turkey are 20% up.

“Destinations like Spain have been badly hit and Greece is having a tough time. There is no question consumers are cutting back. Spanish hoteliers can do something about that by doing something about their prices.

“For the first time, Spanish hoteliers are feeling it. The market there has totally collapsed and is in worse shape than the UK. Unemployment has increased in the country and the housing market has started to collapse.”

This is just an observation: the Brits have enjoyed an extremely favorable exchange rate for so long, traveling around the world like princes and princesses.

What will Greece do without Brit tourists????

:banana:

2 days ago....you had to pay 99.8(with the commision,3 pounds was the commision) pounds to get 97 euros!unbelievable!!

With any luck Sterling will hit 1/2 Pound on the EURO within a year.

Serves the Brits right for being self-centered, bloody boors for many generations.

I agree with EngineerGreece and Midtown Guy, that in a couple months everyone will have forgotten about the riots, for better or worse. Every year something comes up which we fear will become a PR disaster for the country's tourism industry, but the inflow of tourists continues as normal. Does anyone even remember the nationwide riots in France not too long ago? I think we're overestimating the extent to which people follow international developments in the news, even intra-European. And I even read a BBC Online editorial that tells its readers not to worry because the recent troubles in Exarhia will not affect the beaches one bit. I think we're a little overly sensitive about how the world sees us -and understandibly so, because we've been driven to be that way, including myself- but we have to remember the barrage of bad news coming out of every country...we don't stand out nearly as much as we tend to think we do. We had our 15 minutes in late November -albeit a bad 15 minutes- and then it passed on to a major political scandal in the US, and then on to Gaza and Israel.

A new report about 2007 growth from:
http://www.live-pr.com/en/greece-tourism-report-q-r1048248932.htm




Greece Tourism Report Q4 2008

Greece Tourism Report Q4 2008 - companiesandmarkets.com adds new report


(live-PR.com) - www.companiesandmarkets.com/Summary-Market-Repor ..

Tourism Overview Recently released official data show that foreign tourist arrivals to Greece rose by 8.5% year-on-year (yo- y) in 2007 – slightly stronger than we had previously forecast – which represents three years of steady growth in the tourism sector. The number of cruise passenger arrivals (included in these data) declined slightly y-o-y. As in 2006, the UK and
Germany were the key source markets, accounting for around 15% and 13% respectively of total arrivals (down on a year earlier). Arrivals from the UK were largely unchanged, compared with 2006, while the number from Germany declined marginally. However, the number of EU visitors rose a buoyant 20% y-o-y in 2007, while the relative proportion of arrivals from the EU also increased relatively sharply, from nearly 66% in 2006 to almost 73%. Of particular note was the strong growth in arrivals from a number of Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Poland.

Forecast Scenario Greece’s economy performed better than expected in Q108, due primarily to strong export growth, which helped offset the effects of waning domestic demand. However, with the country’s main trading partners directly affected by the ongoing US slowdown, such support is unsustainable. Consequently, we expect GDP growth to slide to 3.3% in 2008, closer to its trend growth rate of 3.0%. BMI expects growth in foreign tourist arrivals to Greece to slow noticeably in 2008. This is largely due to economic conditions in Greece’s main source markets in the UK and the eurozone. Indeed, in line with further downward revisions to BMI’s 2009 eurozone real GDP growth, we have revised down our forecast for tourist arrivals next year. The strength of the euro has also made non-eurozone countries and traditional rivals to Greece more attractive.

Hospitality Although no new aggregate data on tourist arrivals/nights and occupancy rates in the hospitality sector are available this quarter, recent data referring specifically to hotels in Athens show average occupancy rates fell by 1% in the first five months of 2008, compared with the corresponding period a year earlier.

Athens International Airport Reflecting an anticipated weakening in the tourism sector this year, growth in total and international passenger numbers at Athens International Airport (AIA) appears to be slowing quite sharply. The most recent traffic data for the first seven months of 2008 show total passenger numbers increased a low 1.1% y-o-y, with international passenger numbers up a slightly stronger 2.6% y-o-y to around 6mn.

Domestic passenger traffic, meanwhile, declined slightly y-o-y.

Olympic Airlines State-owned Olympic Airlines carried a total of almost 6.0mn passengers in 2007, compared with some 5.5mn passengers a year earlier, a favourable increase of some 9% y-o-y. Domestic passenger numbers grew about 7.8% y-o-y to over 3.1mn, while international traffic was up 2.7%, compared with 2006, at 2.7mn passengers.

Aegean Airlines Aegean Airlines’ financial results for Q108 reveal revenues up a healthy 23% y-o-y to EUR98.8mn, but the airline reported a net loss after tax of EUR4.4mn (US$6.86mn), compared with a EUR2.6mn loss in the same period in 2007. The increased loss was mainly attributed to the sharp rise in fuel costs. Although domestic passenger traffic increased slightly y-o-y, international passenger numbers were up a considerable 35% on Q107.


Author:
Mike King

I'd expect Aegean to recover that tiny loss with the significant drop in oil prices. Hopefully prices stay low.

Etihad to launch new service to Athens
Jan 15 06:20 AM US/Eastern

WAM Abu Dhabi, Jan 15th, 2009 (WAM)--Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is set to boost its flying programme to Europe with the addition of a major new route to Athens. Direct flights to the Greek capital city will start at the beginning of June 2009.

Etihad's latest destination will bring the Abu Dhabi-based airline's global flight network to 53 cities, supplementing services to Melbourne in Australia due to be launched in March 2009.

The Greek capital of Athens will initially be served non-stop, three times a week from early June, increasing to five services a week from October 2009 and then daily from the start of 2010.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' chief executive, said: "The launch of flights to Athens illustrates Etihad's ambitions to boost its European network and link key strategic cities of the world through our Abu Dhabi home base. We anticipate strong demand for flights to and from Athens which will help open up new commercial and cultural ties between the UAE and Greece".

"The new route also offers excellent connecting opportunities between Athens and the rest of our growing network, helping to link this historic European city with Greek communities worldwide," he added.

The addition of Athens will bring to 12 the number of European destinations served by Etihad. Athens, with a population of nearly three quarters of a million people, is one of the world's oldest cities with a recorded history which spans more than 3,000 years. The city, as well as the surrounding islands, is a top European holiday destination with traffic expected from across the Etihad network, particularly Australia which has a strong Greek community.

Etihad will operate a two-class Airbus A320 to Athens, configured to carry 140 passengers with 20 seats in business class and 120 in economy class.

WAM/MN


Copyright 2009 by Emirates News Agency Distributed by UPI

Mamma Mia effect turns isle into blockbuster

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/dec/20/mamma-mia-greek-island-money
The runaway success of the Abba film has turned the Aegean island that featured in the movie into a crowd-pulling star, writes Helena Smith in Athens.

SOME want weddings. Others want champagne receptions at sunset on their own private beach. Still others want to take a leaf straight out of the film script and "dance and kiss on the beach".

It's called the Mamma Mia! effect. Nowhere is it felt more keenly than on the Aegean isle of Skopelos, where the capacity for life to imitate art has gone full throttle since the release of the film version of the hit Abba stage show.

"The phones never stop ringing," mayor Christos Vasiloudi says. "People call in all the time asking how they can get to our Mamma Mia! paradise."

Greece may have been hit in recent weeks by some of the worst civil disturbances in decades, but last week, as Mamma Mia! surpassed Titanic to become the highest-earning movie released in Britain, the island where most of it was shot was struggling to keep up with outside interest. And, with it, increasingly odd requests.

"It's extraordinary," a local travel agent, Mahi Drossou, says. "I've had requests from people in England, Hungary, Australia, asking whether they can marry here, hold champagne parties here, buy land here. One English couple wondered whether they could book the beach that features in the film for a private wedding.

"An Austrian couple just called in with a request to hold a 'renewal' at the Ayios Ioannis chapel where the (film) wedding takes place."

Until the arrival of the Hollywood star cast 15 months ago, Skopelos (population 4696) was best known for its plums, pears and pine trees. Without an airport, reachable only by ferry and devoid of the gaudiness of other Greek resorts, few could have imagined that the isle, set in the northern Sporades, east of Athens, would become the backdrop of a blockbuster featuring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. Even fewer could have foreseen its emergence as the film's star.

"Who would have guessed?" spluttered Giorgos Tsolovikos, 57, who had a bit part, with his mechanised tricycle, in the film. "I had no idea that the one who kept singing and dancing and screaming and crying (Meryl Streep) was so famous. I was in the scene where she drives up in the jeep and they kept saying don't look at the cameras when she comes."

Indeed, as the fictional Greek island Kalokairi in Mamma Mia!, the isle might have gone unnoticed had it not been for the repeat viewings that have produced its runaway success. Mesmerised by the rugged island's scenery, fans appear to have gone to great lengths to uncover its identity.

"I've met people who have come because friends had seen the film four or five times and they wanted to see what all the fuss is about," Dimitra Rekkas says at the town hall.

"The producers checked out at least 25 Greek islands before opting for Skopelos. They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact it really is a small paradise."

The film's success could not have been better timed for a country whose tourist-dependent economy has been hard hit by violent anti-government protests. Last week, two weeks after riots erupted over the police shooting of a teenage boy, Greek officials reported that hotel bookings had dropped by 40 per cent, prompting Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to announce emergency measures to boost tourism.

As the personification of Greece as it used to be — carefree, idyllic, life-affirming — the movie has also pepped up the mood of a nation that has become racked by money worries and pessimism.

"When I saw it, I felt like a dancing queen," a student, Fotini Apadopoulou, says. "It made me stop worrying about all the other terrible stuff that has pushed us onto the streets in protest."

Officials hope the Mamma Mia! effect will reach other parts of Greece. On Skopelos, locals are already preparing for the Mamma Mia! movie tour. But they also insist it's not only about money, money, money.

"OK, we need Mamma Mia! in this economic crisis but a lot of us would hate it if the film that promoted our island also ended up destroying it," Mrs Drossou says.

"It's great that people want to come and marry here and dance and kiss on our beaches. But Skopelos has an unspoilt natural beauty and we want to keep it that way."

EUR 550,000,000 Costa Navarino development in Messinia to open in 2010

The first phase of the project includes two hotels (the Romanos Navarino Dunes Resort, The Luxury Collection and Westin Navarino Dunes Resort) conference hall, indoor basketball hall and golfcourses.

This luxurious resort will provide 1500 people with a job once it is completed!


Στην τελική ευθεία της υλοποίησης βρίσκεται μια από τις μεγαλύτερες τουριστικές επενδύσεις ελληνικών κεφαλαίων, ύψους 550 εκατ. ευρώ, στην ΠΟΤΑ Μεσσηνίας. Πρόκειται για την επένδυση Costa Navarino της εταιρίας ΤΕΜΕΣ του εφοπλιστή Βασίλη Κωνσταντακόπουλου, η οποία, όπως ανέφερε σήμερα ο διευθύνων σύμβουλος της εταιρίας Αχιλλέας Κωνσταντακόπουλος, το 2010 θα είναι σε θέσει να υποδεχτεί τους πρώτους τουρίστες.

Αν και αρχικά ο σχεδιασμός προέβλεπε τη λειτουργία του το 2009, τα κατασκευαστικά έργα της μεγαλύτερης υπο κατασκευής τουριστικής επένδυσης στην Ευρώπη αλλά και η παρούσα οικονομική κρίση μετέθεσαν τα εγκαίνια για ένα χρόνο μετά. Σε πρώτη φάση θα λειτουργήσουν το συνεδριακό κέντρο, τα δυο ξενοδοχεία, το γήπεδο γκολφ αλλά και το κλειστό γήπεδο μπάσκετ. Μέχρι σήμερα τα επενδεδυμένα κεφάλαια ανέρχονται σε 330 εκατ. ευρώ.

Η Costa Navarino είναι ένας νέος πολυτελής προορισμός στην Μεσόγειο, σε μια έκταση 10.000 στρεμμάτων. Είναι μια καταπράσινη περιοχή με λόφους και βουνά, που πλαισιώνεται από προστατευμένους κολπίσκους, μαγευτικές παραλίες και κοιλάδες με ελαιόδεντρα και αμπελώνες. Το συγκρότημα Navarino Dunes αναπτύσσεται σε μία περιοχή έκτασης 1.300 στρεμμάτων με παραθαλάσσια πρόσοψη ενός χιλιομέτρου αμμώδους παραλίας στο Ιόνιο Πέλαγος. Τα δύο resort hotels στο Navarino Dunes (Romanos Navarino Dunes Resort, The Luxury Collection και Westin Navarino Dunes Resort) που θα είναι διαμορφωμένα σε συγκροτήματα με βίλλες, βρίσκονται κοντά στις πόλεις της Πύλου, Χώρας και Γαργαλιάνων , περίπου μισή ώρα από το διεθνές αεροδρόμιο της Καλαμάτας και με οδική πρόσβαση από την Αθήνα.

Το Romanos Navarino Dunes Resort, The Luxury Collection θα περιλαμβάνει 321 πολυτελή δωμάτια και σουίτες με 142 ιδιωτικές πισίνες, καθώς και πολλές κοινόχρηστες πισίνες. Το Westin Navarino Dunes Resort θα διαθέτει 445 δωμάτια πολυτελείας και σουίτες με 123 ιδιωτικές πισίνες, καθώς και πολλές κοινόχρηστες πισίνες.

Πάνω απο 2.500 άτομα απασχολούνται για την υλοποίηση της επένδυσης, ενώ ιδιαίτερη έμφαση δόθηκε στην προστασία του περιβάλλοντος. Μεταξύ άλλων πάνω απο 6.500 ελιές μεταφυτεύτηκαν εντός της ιδιόκτητης επιφάνειας, ενώ πρωτοποριακές μέθοδοι εφαρμόστηκαν στα συστήματα εξοικονόμησης ενέργειας. Ηδη πραγματοποιείται μελέτη, σε συνεργασία με το Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο, για την "εικόνα" του νερού στην περιοχή της Μεσηνίας.

Με την αποπεράτωση του έργου, περισσότερα απο 1.500 άτομα θα μπορέσουν να απασχοληθούν στα τουριστικά συγκροτήματα, ενώ στόχος είναι η δωδεκάμηνη λειτουργία του.


Source: www.express.gr

Aussies name top 50 favourite destinations
SMH April 1, 2009

Everyone has a favourite place. After surveying industry experts on their favouite destinations, Travel + Leisure magazine invited Australians to vote on their dream lists of top spots throughout the world. The Pyramids of Giza, Parisian temptations, African safaris and Greek Island adventures all scored top marks in our survey of the world's best travel experiences.

Travel + Leisure asked readers for their all-time top 50 destinations, categorised into most popular countries, cities, regions, journeys and icons, and the results revealed many clear favourites and a few surprises, too. Readers were asked to vote for their top choice, based on a list voted by members of the travel industry published in our January/February edition. We also asked readers to nominate their choices for destinations not on the list, plus their recommendation for their tip for a special travel place.

Australia remains the number one destination among readers, but interestingly home turf choices remain less popular in other categories such as regions and journeys. Europe was a strong player across most categories, with Paris hitting the top spot for favourite city, and the three nominated European regions taking the top three spaces.

TOP TEN COUNTRIES
1. Australia

2. Italy

3. France

4. New Zealand

5. US

6. Thailand

7. Turkey

8. India

9. Greece

10. Japan

TOP TEN REGIONS

1. The Greek Islands

2. Tuscany

3. French wine districts

4. The Canadian Rockies

5. The Antarctic

6. Tasmanian Wilderness

7. Kakakdu

8. The Kimberley

9. Byron Bay

10. The South Australian wine districts

___________________________________

Not bad at all. :)

Greek tourism faces summer drought

By Kerin Hope in Athens

Published: April 13 2009 22:45 | Last updated: April 13 2009 22:45

The Greek tourist industry faces a grim summer, with bookings down by 25 to 30 per cent as recessions deepen in Germany and the UK, Greece’s main tourist markets.

Dozens of four-star and five-star hotels in Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, the most popular islands, decided against opening for Easter, the traditional start of the season, in an attempt to keep down costs.

“Many hotels will stay closed in April and May and hope to break even over the peak months,” said Nikos Angelopoulos, president of SETE, an industry group.

Hoteliers also face constraints because banks are cutting lending to the tourist industry, in spite of a €28bn ($37bn, £25bn) government support package aimed at sustaining small and medium-sized businesses, said Mr Angelopoulos.

The €35bn tourism industry is Greece’s biggest employer, but more than 50,000 jobs could be at risk if hotels shut down during the “shoulder” seasons in spring and autumn.

Greek hoteliers are offering foreign tour operators discounts averaging 15 to 25 per cent amid intensifying competition from cheaper destinations such as Turkey and Croatia.

British-based tour operators TUI Travel and Thomas Cook both recently reported strong growth in bookings for Turkey.

The recession has hit all sectors of the Greek market, with yachting, cruise and alternative tourism operators seeing a drop of 20 per cent in bookings and a steady flow of cancellations.

Tourist arrivals were flat last year at 17m after three years of growth, according to Aris Ikkos, managing partner of GBR Consulting. German and UK visitors accounted for almost 30 per cent of total arrivals.

“The number of UK visitors this year will be affected by the decline of the pound against the euro, and more Germans are expected to choose holidays at home,” said Mr Ikkos.

Athens, the main Greek winter destination, saw a significant drop in first-quarter arrivals because of last December’s riots, say hoteliers, although no official figures have been issued. The worst-hit region is the southern island of Crete, which normally caters for 3.5 to 4m tourists, mostly from the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. Local hoteliers’ associations said bookings had fallen by 30 per cent.

Hotels are offering discounts of as much as 40 per cent to secure high-season bookings, said Nikos Korakas, president of the hotel association of west Crete.

“Visitors are cutting the length of a holiday and it’s clear from the last few days that they’re spending less,” Mr Korakas said.

Industry lobby groups are pressing the government to follow the example of Cyprus and cut value-added tax by 3 percentage points for hotels and restaurants.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8c77bc1c-2848-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html

Αυξημένη κατά 30% η τουριστική κίνηση στη Ρόδο

Αυξημένη κατά 30% ήταν η τουριστική κίνηση στο νησί της Ρόδου τον Απρίλιο σε σχέση με τον αντίστοιχο μήνα του 2008, σύμφωνα με στοιχεία που ανακοινώθηκαν από το αεροδρόμιο Ρόδου «Διαγόρας». Συνολικά με πτήσεις τσάρτερ έφθασαν στο νησί 42.295 επισκέπτες και η αύξηση οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι τον Απρίλιο αυξήθηκε εντυπωσιακά ο αριθμός των Γάλλων τουριστών που έφθασαν τους 6467 σύμφωνα με τα επίσημα στοιχεία. Σημαντικός ήταν επίσης ο αριθμός τουριστών από την Γερμανία, την Αγγλία, την Σουηδία την Φινλανδία και το Ισραήλ που έφθασαν στη Ρόδο.

Η αύξηση του 30% έχει προκαλέσει ιδιαίτερα αισθήματα ικανοποίησης στις τάξεις των τουριστικών παραγόντων του νησιού, που ευελπιστούν ότι και οι επόμενοι μήνες της τουριστικής περιόδου θα εξελιχθούν σε καλά επίπεδα, αν και οι προβλέψεις δεν συνηγορούν σε αυτό το συμπέρασμα.

www.kathimerini.gr με πληροφορίες από ΑΠΕ - ΜΠΕ

http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_04/05/2009_277659

Regarding the above Kerin Hope, the British should worry about the state of their own crumbling tourism industry.....

Leave us poor greeks, to get on with selling our own product.

Don't read too much into these articles.................they are more a device of political persuasion rather than trying to present a clear and accurate picture of the greek tourism sector.

I would also urge forummers to exercise caution when posting such articles at the start of the greek tourist season......

Ask yourself who benefits and who loses from such articles.

^^

Dude....relax.

It is a well known fact that tourism in ALL traditional tourist hot-spots are down tremendously this year. I just got bak from Las Vegas and I can tell you it was DEAD! I could not believe how quiet it was compared to trips I have taken there in the past...

It is a known fact that hotel bookings are down in Greece this summer. What is the harm in discussing this?

It is ok to be pro-Hellene but your paranoia is pushing the envelope a bit....

^^

:okay:

All I'm saying is that people should think before they post.........

...they do, and you're making clearly something out of nothing.

I have no problem with my post, and there is no need for self-censorship when simply reporting the facts. /Paranoia will destroy ya/:cheers:

Brits are anti-Greek and have been for decades. Their newspapers rarely print anything about Greece unless it's downbeat. Not that we care that much because Britain is a useless nation.

One good thing is Pound Sterling is going to the crapper, so we'll see less boorish Brit tourists in Greece. :banana:

It's weird though. Simple people are not anti-Greeks at all. They even come, live and die in Greece when they get old. But their government and journalists are indeed really anti-Greeks.

simple people aren't anti-greeks at all i'd say too,the opposite!they love us!
they're more anti-spanish and i have examples thats happened to me but im not gonna tell them cause im bored :P
also no matter what,i will keep sending my brit mates to greece(quite a lot asking me where to go),no matter what but i 'll tell them to behave :P

I think you're all overdoing this apparent anti-Greek bias you see in the UK. This is by far not the case, and having studied and worked in various parts of the UK for a number of years, and with a large group of British friends (including a god-daughter), I can honestly say that Greeks are very much loved.

The thing is, the British press is rather negative about most aspects of politics, business, society, etc. Above all, they criticise themselves more than any other nation/society, and this is apparent by opening any newspaper. Any major project (West coast main line upgrade, Crossrail, Heathrow T5, Heathrow runway 3, the Jubilee line extension, Wembley to name a few) attracted (and continue to do so) a HUGE amount of negative press!

Amongst friends and in business (I worked for one of the UK's largest banks which involved some business in Greece), we were positively viewed, which is in no small part a result of all those Greeks working in business.

I don't want to criticise, but many of those on this board believe that Greece is always a point of ridicule - not the case. And please consider the size of our country and our population - within this context, we actually get quite a bit of press space (even the Kathimerini English edition is on of the featured newspapers on BBC World's World Business Report). In terms of positive/negative aspects, well, UK press (including the Economist, FT, BBC and ITV) is pretty much the most professional the world over, hence why I will NEVER have Time magazine or CNN in any of my work spaces (it's like children's work compared to the UK press).

Anyway, please do not look at things through such negative eyes - we are extremely well respected, otherwise we wouldn't get so many British living in Greece!

Tourism Advertisign Campaign 2009

-3EutCjwrvk

Indeed. The press in UK is quite ''weird'' the least I can say. I really believe that the British people like Greece a lot. I can clearly see that because I study in the UK. In my perspective 80% of the British people I meet have already traveled at least once in Greece. I'm from Crete and I know lots of people who have homes there (most of them elderly) to rest after a busy life.

The problem is the press and the politicians.

The British people are not anti-Greek, but without question the foreign policy establishment and mass media are. They are vitriolic anti-Greek (and mostly pro-Turkish).

Greeks are bitter about how the anglo-saxon world media has created or exacerbated many of their problems and they have every right to be. There is little question the anti-Greek bias of the anglo-saxon media worldwide has created or encouraged many problems for Greece.

Article from the Cyprus Mail:




Karmi Brits defiant in the face of Orams verdict

The recent ECJ ruling in favour of Greek Cypriot property owner Meletis Apostolides has led to a flurry of speculation in the north over the fate of those illegally living in properties abandoned after 1974. Reporter Daniel Lucas paid a visit to the primarily British village of Karmi to see what the locals were saying )

KARMI IS a picturesque village seated near the top of the Pentadaktylos mountain range, 15 kilometres south-west of Kyrenia.

Before 1974, the village was populated entirely by Greek Cypriots. These days it is a village consisting of around 100 renovated houses and a further 100 newly built properties that are inhabited almost entirely by foreign citizens coming mostly from the UK, but also a small contingent from Germany, Austria, France and the US.

The Greek Cypriot identity of the village is undeniable. According to the north’s official website for foreigners, cypnet.co.uk: “Karaman village, situated up on the mountains, to the west of Kyrenia, was abandoned by its Greek Cypriot inhabitants during the war in 1974.”

Many will raise an eyebrow to the ambiguity of the word ‘abandoned’, but we can’t linger on interpretations of the events of 1974, however potent they may be to the overall issue.

What I sought from my visit was a greater understanding of the general atmosphere and opinions held by a community living on Greek Cypriot land and Karmi proved to be a great example of this.

Leaving Kyrenia on the road to Lapithos, I turned left and began the ascent up the mountains. Despite the omnipresent speed bumps and signs advertising an assortment of villas, holiday-homes and land along the roads, the ride was smooth enough, eventually leading me past a number of beer gardens and scattered villas and into the old streets of Karmi-proper.

I encountered few people on the road, yet the ones that I did see gave me the impression of having stumbled into a quasi-hamlet of Sussex, where tea, dog-pruning and golf comprise the staple diet of entertainment for the majority of residents.

I settled on a bench in a local beer garden and ordered a drink to accompany the sunshine. Having noticed my number plates, the owner approached me and immediately began inquiring what someone from “the other side” was doing there.

“Just looking around,” I replied, “This is a very beautiful part of the island.”

A local woman, sitting on a nearby bench joined the conversation.

“Oh yes I know,” she said “We are so lucky we have the best part.”

Hmm, I thought… That’s interesting. I know I said I didn’t want to be pedantic about words, but at least three in that reply hit the little bell now ringing in my head: We, Have and Best.

I took my chance and tried to get a bit more out of what exactly she meant by this, or more specifically, how she could be so convinced that this was now her land.

Rather than become involved in a confrontation, I posed my question in a more subtle manner.

I enquired how I would go about purchasing some property in the area, and how secure she felt with all the legal speak going on at the moment.

“We bought the land from a legal real estate agency operating out of the UK in 2004, following the referendum.

“We [she and her husband], heard from the English press that the Greek Cypriots didn’t want anything to do with the Turkish Cypriots and that northern Cyprus might well be recognised shortly after, and that was the end of that.

“We saw that properties in the north were being sold at an extremely attractive price, and, together with the cost of living, it proved to be a great choice for us.”

I found it hard to believe that those living in Karmi were strapped for cash.

There was a tea room with possibly enough Mercedes to invade Poland parked out the front. The structures that have been built during the last five years were hardly modest little replicas of the quaint little houses that existed pre-1974. They are enormous five and eight bedroom villas with their own driveways, swimming pools and sea views.

Though the beer garden where I was sitting was not in the least bit posh or pretentious, it gave the feeling that it was fulfilling the need for one of many niches desired by residents seeking to realise their romanticised ideas of life in the sun.

I proceeded to the obvious question, which was whether they were worried about the recent ruling against the Orams. It seems that that name has taken on some kind of mystical, Macbeth-like status up there, as the five or six other heads that were until now engaged in their own conversation, suddenly turned to my direction.

One man sitting nearby, so deeply sunburned he resembled a beetroot, turned around clutching his beer.

“The GCs can take their tattered deeds and fuck off.”

The bluntness of his statement struck me as quite a perfect encapsulation of the general attitude shared by people who have purchased their property illegally.

There is an inherent awareness of the situation, both current and past, yet it seems that the Brits and other foreigners living up in Karmi – and most probably in so many other occupied Greek Cypriot villages – simply choose to employ the official rhetoric of the Turkish Cypriot leadership.

In their logic, because there was a ‘war’ and because the people who used to live in these houses ‘left’, a new system is in force where ‘empty’ property can be bought and sold by its new occupants.

The fact that just across the checkpoint, many of the land’s original owners have been living in refugee estates for 35 years does not feature in the thought process.

The beetroot man goes on.

“We paid for the land so it’s ours. We didn’t want anything to do with Europe when we were in England, and we don’t want anything to do with it now.

“The Greeks can’t get us off this land, ’cause then it would be exactly the same as what they say the Turks did to them in the first place.”

Eh? That was weird. I thought about trying to explain the futility of circular logic, but thought it best to finish my beer, draw some more scowls for paying in euros and leave.

Driving down the slope, the view extends for miles: Kyrenia harbour on my right, Lapithos somewhere to the left, and Turkey over the horizon and through the haze straight ahead.

I found it strange how these people, who for the most part seemed pretty normal and happy with each other, could justify their position to themselves without feeling the least bit of indignation.

The Orams case is not about the issue of Turkish Cypriots living on Greek Cypriot land, it is about foreigners unnecessarily impeding the possibility of peace on the island through their isolationist and anti-European attitudes.

Buying property in the north, either with or without the knowledge of the real legal and political situation, is a calamity because it has simply added to the complexity of solving the Cyprus issue for the simple enrichment of a couple of individuals – and the desire to live an island life at a bargain price.





Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

I agree with GNL.

I'll take the British press over the American press any day. The Bits are very similar to the Greeks: they're highly self-critical. And too much, sometimes. But it's certainly a breath of fresh air, compared to Americans who are always patting themselves on the back while their entire world is crashing down.

Αυξημένη κατά 30% η τουριστική κίνηση στη Ρόδο

Αυξημένη κατά 30% ήταν η τουριστική κίνηση στο νησί της Ρόδου τον Απρίλιο σε σχέση με τον αντίστοιχο μήνα του 2008, σύμφωνα με στοιχεία που ανακοινώθηκαν από το αεροδρόμιο Ρόδου «Διαγόρας». Συνολικά με πτήσεις τσάρτερ έφθασαν στο νησί 42.295 επισκέπτες και η αύξηση οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι τον Απρίλιο αυξήθηκε εντυπωσιακά ο αριθμός των Γάλλων τουριστών που έφθασαν τους 6467 σύμφωνα με τα επίσημα στοιχεία. Σημαντικός ήταν επίσης ο αριθμός τουριστών από την Γερμανία, την Αγγλία, την Σουηδία την Φινλανδία και το Ισραήλ που έφθασαν στη Ρόδο.

Η αύξηση του 30% έχει προκαλέσει ιδιαίτερα αισθήματα ικανοποίησης στις τάξεις των τουριστικών παραγόντων του νησιού, που ευελπιστούν ότι και οι επόμενοι μήνες της τουριστικής περιόδου θα εξελιχθούν σε καλά επίπεδα, αν και οι προβλέψεις δεν συνηγορούν σε αυτό το συμπέρασμα.

www.kathimerini.gr με πληροφορίες από ΑΠΕ - ΜΠΕ

http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_04/05/2009_277659

Interesting! Now we're getting conflicting reports about tourism in 2009.

The British people are not anti-Greek, but without question the foreign policy establishment and mass media are. They are vitriolic anti-Greek (and mostly pro-Turkish).

Greeks are bitter about how the anglo-saxon world media has created or exacerbated many of their problems and they have every right to be. There is little question the anti-Greek bias of the anglo-saxon media worldwide has created or encouraged many problems for Greece.

Sodnal, I am curious on what facts you base your sweeping judgements. I find your generalisation about anti-Greek and pro-Turkish sentiment to be way off the mark. First off, so far as I know, there is no competition with Turkey, and such provincial views do nothing to help our image abroad. Like it or not, Turkey is a huge economy at Europe's doorstep and at an essential geographical junction, so they will of course get quite a bit of air space. Also, Turkey have taken some strong steps towards modernisation over the past few years, so that will draw positive press - i'm actually happy about that, however there are still negative issues that gain plenty of press space.

What does the foreign press have to do with Greece's problems, when they are mostly attributable to our incompetent politicians and issues with Greek society (let's not start a discussion on these topics just here). What did the foreign press have to do with the riots in December? Or the Pavlidis case? Or the failure of the police system? Or the fact that hospital suppliers are unpaid? I could go on...

Finally, please do not generalise about Greek's bitterness towards foreign press - I am included in the subject group, and do not appreciate that inclusion.

Let's get out of our shell and do something rather than blame others for our problems, please!

Kind regards,

GNL

I've heard of the so-called "pro-Turkish" bias in the British press before, and I am completely bewildered by people who say that, because I have never gotten that sort of impression from the UK press. I think that the British press is very fair, and sometimes even favourable towards Greece on all sorts of stories, from the recent Athens riots (they did a good job with the riots) to British holidaymakers in Greece who cause trouble. And it's certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the press here in the USA where I currently live. The American press is 1. condescending and patronizing towards the entire world, even when they mean well, 2. a national orgy of self-adulation, 3. very Hollywoodish and entertainment-like, 4. biased and overrun by corporate interests, 5. sensationalist and stuck with an outdated capitalist-vs-socialist mentality, and 6. propaganda propaganda propaganda. There are some jewels in the US, like NPR and PBS, where I get most of my news, but I also frequently visit BBC online, and read the Guardian and Economist, for no-nonsense news and opinions without the American Exceptionalist slant.

I do see where sodnal is coming from; I disagree with GNL that everything the media reports is "strictly unbiased news". For example, some publications within the wider Anglo press went way overboard and completely hysterical regarding Olympics preparations and possible terrorism at the Games. But I think sodnal is unfairly singling out the UK press, when the American and Australian press are the ones to blame. Again, I never got a negative impression from the British press, except maybe for the tabloids like Daily Mail which no one in the UK takes seriously anyways and which are just as hysterical on domestic issues within Britain. (Of course, if you're an uneducated nationalist Daily Mail reader, you hate the BBC).

I've said before, I have never ever received any condescension or patronizing from a Brit the way I'll sometimes get from an American (not that Americans do this on purpose...Americans are nice people and they mean well but they can be ignorantly patronizing and condescending without realizing it). And this is probably because the Brits are like the Greeks: their empire is in the past, they already left their footprint on the world, and now they are a humbler nation-state trying to make it in the modern world. To a Brit, I'm a fellow world citizen and fellow European. Whereas to an American, I'm "ethnic", and my culture only exists within the context of theirs. They have a very ethnocentric mentality which is reflected in their media. Whereas the Brits are not like this at all; they can be crazy drunks, but I prefer their company any day.

New marina in Platamonas

Very good development for tourism in Pieria.

Εγκαινιάζεται αύριο στις 11 το πρωί από τον υπουργό Τουριστικής Ανάπτυξης το λιμάνι του Πλαταμώνα Πιερίας, όπου θα μπορούν να ελλιμενίζονται διερχόμενα σκάφη αναψυχής.

Πρόκειται για ένα σύγχρονο λιμάνι, στο οποίο θα μπορούν να αγκυροβολούν 96 σκάφη, καθώς διαθέτει όλες τις απαραίτητες εγκαταστάσεις για την εξυπηρέτησή τους (δίκτυο ύδρευσης, ηλεκτροφωτισμού, πυρόσβεσης, σύστημα παραλαβής ελαιωδών αποβλήτων).

Το έργο κόστισε 1.467.351 ευρώ, χρήματα που εκταμιεύτηκαν κατά 80% από το ΕΣΠΑ και κατά 20% από κρατικά κονδύλια. Αναπτύσσεται στη χερσαία ζώνη σε επιφάνεια 3.190 τ.μ. και στη θαλάσσια ζώνη σε επιφάνεια 31.950 τ.μ.
Όπως τόνισε στη “Μ” ο νομάρχης Πιερίας Γιώργος Παπαστεργίου, “με την ολοκλήρωση του λιμανιού αξιοποιείται τουριστικά η παραλιακή ζώνη του Πλαταμώνα, καθώς θα μπορούν να επισκέπτονται την περιοχή άτομα και μέσω της θάλασσας”.

Το έργο δημοπρατήθηκε στις 14 Νοεμβρίου του 2005 και περιλαμβάνει παραλιακό κρηπίδωμα μήκους 123 μέτρων και μόλο-προβλήτα μήκους 81,5 μέτρων και πλάτους 6 μέτρων. Έγιναν έργα εκβάθυνθης και κατασκευάστηκαν τρεις οπές στους μόλους, πλάτους 4 μέτρων, για την κυκλοφορία και την ανανέωση των υδάτων. Τέλος, όπως προαναφέρθηκε, υπάρχουν όλες οι απαιτούμενες υποδομές για τον ασφαλή ελλιμενισμό των σκαφών, χώρος στάθμευσης αυτοκινήτων, όπως και κτίριο διοίκησης και εξυπηρέτησης επισκεπτών.

Ιουν 02, 2009

Source: www.makthes.gr

Rhodes: Elysium Resort & Spa opens its doors

Πηγή: Express.gr 02/06/09-09:01

ΞEKINHΣE πρόσφατα την επίσημη λειτουργία του το πολυτελές ξενοδοχείο 5 αστέρων Elysium Resort & Spa στo νησί της Ρόδου. Το ξενοδοχείο, συνολικής δυναμικότητας 330 δωματίων, βρίσκεται στην ανατολική πλευρά του νησιού, πάνω στην παραλία, δίπλα στο διάσημο μνημείο των Πηγών Καλλιθέας και μόλις 9 χλμ. από την πόλη της Ρόδου.

To Elysium αποτελεί το τρίτο και νεότερο μέλος των ξενοδοχείων Harmony Resorts, που μαζί με το Rodos Palladium, το περισσότερο βραβευμένο ξενοδοχείο πολυτελείας του νησιού, και το Sun Beach Resort, ένα από τα καλύτερα ξενοδοχεία για οικογένειες, αποτελούν την πλέον ποιοτική επιλογή διαμονής στο νησί.

Ανάμεσα στα ιδιαίτερα χαρακτηριστικά του Elysium Resort & Spa ξεχωρίζουν η εξαιρετική θέα στη θάλασσα, τόσο από τους κοινόχρηστους χώρους όσο και από τα δωμάτια αφού το 98% διαθέτει θέα στη θάλασσα, το rooftop πανοραμικό gourmet εστιατόριο Nobles στον 8ο όροφο, όπου ο executive chef Γιώργος Τρουμούχης έχει δημιουργήσει ένα μενού για μοναδικές γαστρονομικές εμπειρίες, το Crystal Bar που φαίνεται να αιωρείται προσφέροντας μοναδική θέα στη θάλασσα και τον κόλπο του Φαληρακίου, τα πανοραμικά ασανσέρ στο αίθριο και το Elite Club: δύο όροφοι με 64 δωμάτια αφιερωμένοι σε αυτούς που δίνουν προσοχή στις λεπτομέρειες, με ιδιαίτερο χώρο reception και lounge, πρωινό στο Senses Cafe στον 8ο όροφο με πανοραμική θέα, διαμονή σε δωμάτια ξεχωριστής αισθητικής αλλά και προνομιακές υπηρεσίες.

To Elysium μπορεί να φιλοξενήσει συναντήσεις έως 500 ατόμων σε τρεις πλήρως εξοπλισμένες αίθουσες δυναμικότητας 280, 110 και 110 συνέδρων αντίστοιχα.

H συνολική εμπειρία διαμονής ολοκληρώνεται με το Serenity Spa συνολικής έκτασης 800 τ.μ., με χώρο υποδοχής, χαλάρωσης και αναμονής, και 6 αίθουσες θεραπειών. Εντός των επόμενων εβδομάδων αναμένεται και η οριστικοποίηση της συνεργασίας με διεθνώς καταξιωμένη εταιρία, ειδικευμένη στην παροχή υπηρεσιών ευεξίας.

Το ξενοδοχείο διαθέτει επίσης 3 εστιατόρια, 4 bars, μία μοναδική πισίνα 1.600 τ.μ. αλλά και μία θερμαινόμενη με υδρομασάζ και όργανα για aqua gym, παραλία με άμμο και μικρά βότσαλα που εκτείνεται σε 400 μέτρα.

Το Elysium Resort & Spa, συνολικής επένδυσης 50 εκατομμυρίων ευρώ, ανήκει στη ΝΗΚΑ Α.Ε., γενικός διευθυντής της μονάδας είναι ο κ. Μιχάλης Βασταρδής, ο οποίος μετά από μια πετυχημένη πορεία στη γενική διεύθυνση ξενοδοχείων Hilton στην Αθήνα, στην Κέρκυρα, στην Κένυα και στο Μπαχρέιν, επιλογή που εκφράζει και την πρόθεση της ιδιοκτήτριας εταιρίας για την παροχή υπηρεσιών υψηλού επιπέδου.


Link to the hotels photo gallery:

http://www.elysium.gr/en/EL_PhotoGallery.php

that looks really nice,they could have done a little more with the building itself but i cant really judge by the pic provided.

an kai apo makria fainetai apla ena ktirio se mia 3eraila(kalo tha itan na fiteftei kai kana dentro ekei girw),nomizw vrika pou tha paw fetos diakopes! :D

Το θρυλικό «Ποσειδώνιο» ξανανοίγει τις πόρτες του

Πηγή: Express.gr 09/06/09-10:29

TO ιστορικό «Ποσειδώνιο», το στολίδι των Σπετσών, ανοίγει ξανά τις πόρτες του στις 29 Ιουνίου μετά από μία υπερπολυτελή ανακαίνιση που διήρκεσε πέντε χρόνια.

Eχοντας διατηρήσει όλα τα ιδιαίτερα αρχιτεκτονικά στοιχεία του κτιρίου, με τη συνδρομή μάλιστα ειδικών συνεργείων από το Aγιο Όρος για την αναστήλωσή του, το ξενοδοχείο αποπνέει μια αίσθηση σύγχρονα κλασική, με νοσταλγική κομψότητα και διακριτική πολυτέλεια προσφέροντας όλες τις ανέσεις ενός σύγχρονου ξενοδοχείου 5 αστέρων.

Το ιστορικό κτίριο του «Ποσειδωνίου», έργο του αρχιτέκτονα Παναγιώτη Ζίζηλα, ολοκληρώθηκε το 1914 και βασίζεται στην eclectique αρχιτεκτονική της Νότιας Γαλλίας, με αναφορές σε Μόντε Κάρλο, Κάννες και Ιταλική Ριβιέρα.
Κάθε ένα από τα 55 δωμάτιά του, τόσο στο ιστορικό κτίριο όσο και στο νεόδμητο παράρτημά του, είναι διαμορφωμένα ξεχωριστά, με στοιχεία και χρώματα να προσδίδουν ένα μοναδικό κάθε φορά χαρακτήρα. Η απαράμιλλη θέα από τα δωμάτια και τις εντυπωσιακές σουίτες του «Ποσειδωνίου» αποτελεί παράδεισο για κάθε επισκέπτη.

Το μεσογειακό του spa συνεχίζει την παράδοση ετών, καθώς το «Ποσειδώνιο» αποτέλεσε το πρώτο ξενοδοχείο θαλασσοθεραπείας στην Ελλάδα στις αρχές του περασμένου αιώνα. Σημείο αναφοράς και «hot spot» του Αργοσαρωνικού θα αποτελέσει ξανά το εστιατόριο στη θρυλική βεράντα του ξενοδοχείου.



http://www.xyz.gr/images/jpeg/spe1.jpg

I find your generalisation about anti-Greek and pro-Turkish sentiment to be way off the mark.

Then you're badly misinformed. I feel for you, but can't accept responsibility for your poor grasp of the facts.

The British foreign policy establishment is WITHOUT QUESTION pro-Turkey and anti-Greek. The British media reflects that bias on policy issues.

Do they write nice articles about holidays in Greece? Sure. But what does that have to do with policy issues?

Read ANY articles about the chief foreign policy issues concerning Greece and Turkey and the articles almost without exception are biased against Greece.

I suppose you know GN that the British are LARGELY responsible for the current situation on Cyprus and the historical animosity between Greek Cypriots and Turk Cypriots? The British Foreign Office almost planned the 1955 anti-Greek Pogrom in Constantinople. The Turks took ALL their cues for that catastrophe from the British Foreign Office and Brit Ambassadors to Turkey.

Don't debate me on these subjects unless you're better informed. I don't mind debating, but debating the blind, deaf and dumb is pointless.

But I think sodnal is unfairly singling out the UK press, when the American and Australian press are the ones to blame.

When did Sodnal ever say the US or Australian media was better than the British media? I don't remember ever saying that.

Anglo-Saxon media IN GENERAL is not favorably disposed towards Greece ON POLICY ISSUES. They're biased in favor of Turkey on the key issues that involve both Greece and Turkey. Without question.

As for the US media being boorish, self-absorbed and trite, I agree. Good journalism is in short supply worldwide.

In general I don't expect too much from that profession because the large majority of them don't know very much about the subjects they cover. A well informed journalist is a rare commodity.

That's why, instead of doing their own analysis on foreign policy issues, most journalists only echo the positions of the foreign policy 'establishment' in the nation they belong to.

In England the foreign policy establishment is anti-Greece and pro-Turkey. For a number of reasons, most of which have to do with projecting British influence in that region of the world.

When did Sodnal ever say the US or Australian media was better than the British media? I don't remember ever saying that.

You're referring to yourself in the 3rd person. :crazy2:

Anglo-Saxon media IN GENERAL is not favorably disposed towards Greece ON POLICY ISSUES. They're biased in favor of Turkey on the key issues that involve both Greece and Turkey. Without question.

This is definitely true in the US, but I can't say it's the case in Britain.

As for the US media being boorish, self-absorbed and trite, I agree. Good journalism is in short supply worldwide.

In general I don't expect too much from that profession because the large majority of them don't know very much about the subjects they cover. A well informed journalist is a rare commodity.

That's why, instead of doing their own analysis on foreign policy issues, most journalists only echo the positions of the foreign policy 'establishment' in the nation they belong to.



I entirely agree with this.

This is definitely true in the US, but I can't say it's the case in Britain.


I can say it's the case in Britain. I study this issue in depth and can say categorically that British state policy is pro-Turkey on most issues that involve Greece and Turkey. The British media takes their cue from that foreign ministry. There is no question of this from those who read British newspapers regarding those issues.

British Kalavrita Train Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAf8X2dgsWc

Foreign tourists love Greece

Tourists enjoy high satisfaction levels when visiting Greece.
21 Jul 2009

Food and entertainment are the highlights of Greek tourism, while price levels seem to be the most disturbing feature according to a survey.

Four out of 10 respondents in the survey were visiting Greece for the first time, while six out of ten had planned their vacation through services provided online.

Eighty four percent stayed at a hotel while 63% had viewed an advertisement on Greece before coming to the country.

Americans, Australians and Germans appear to be the most satisfied with Greece as tourist destination, while Scandinavians and French appear to be the least pleased.

Eight out of 10 wish to visit Greece again and nine out of 10 would recommend it as a tourist destination.

The tourists surveyed were asked to evaluate the services provided with 10 being the highest grade.

Food was graded 8.7, entertainment 8.3, while facilities scored 7.9, cleanness 7.7, public transport 7.6 and prices 7.0. The survey conducted by Ammon Ovis SA, on a sample of 332 tourists from all continents who have spent an average of 12 days in Greece.

Tourism Minister Kostas Markopoulos stressed the importance of the survey results related to tourists’ satisfaction.

“The survey’s highlight is that tourists would be willing to visit Greece again and would recommend it to others”, he said.

http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/foreign-tourists-l0ve-greece

Greece added to US visa waiver program (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100310-257775/Greece-added-to-US-visa-waiver-program)

WASHINGTON DC, United States—Greece has been added to the US Visa Waiver Program, allowing its citizens to travel to the United States for 90 days at a time without a visa, the US Homeland Security Department said Tuesday.

The announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano—which came as Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou visited Washington—adds Greece to a list of 35 countries whose citizens can visit the United States visa-free.

The waiver will go into effect in a month, and comes after two years of work between US and Greek authorities to strengthen Greece's airport security standards, Napolitano said.

"Our efforts to guard against terrorism while enhancing legal travel and trade depend upon close collaboration with our international partners," she said in a statement.

"I commend our partners in Greece for committing to strong screening and security standards and enhanced information sharing for travel by Greek citizens to the United States as we work together to protect our citizens and strengthen our economies."

The Visa Waiver Program, first established in 1986, allows citizens of designated countries to apply online for an Electronic System Travel Authorization rather than for a visa.

Why are you posting here news anyway, what are you, a news agency?

Greek crisis does not dampen interest of Serbian tourists
Tanjug - Monday, May 17 2010 10:57

BELGRADE - Serbian tourists' interest in vacationing in Greece remains high despite the adverse effect of the financial crisis and widespread strikes in the country, a Tanjug poll confirmed.

+++The Vice Prime Minister called on solidarity with Greece and called for all Serbs to change their vacation plans and go to Greece in order to help the economy of the "friend and ally". Some of the Serbian Forum members have already done that. :cheers:

Greek crisis does not dampen interest of Serbian tourists
Tanjug - Monday, May 17 2010 10:57

BELGRADE - Serbian tourists' interest in vacationing in Greece remains high despite the adverse effect of the financial crisis and widespread strikes in the country, a Tanjug poll confirmed.

+++The Vice Prime Minister called on solidarity with Greece and called for all Serbs to change their vacation plans and go to Greece in order to help the economy of the "friend and ally". Some of the Serbian Forum members have already done that. :cheers:
:cheers:

Ελληνικές πρωτιές σε λίστα με κορυφαίους προορισμούς
Της Ιωαννας Φωτιαδη

Το όνομα της Ελλάδας δεν αναφέρεται μόνο «επί κακώ». Στη νέα κατάταξη με τους 20 κορυφαίους παραθαλάσσιους προορισμούς στην Ευρώπη του www. tripadvisor. com για το 2011 η Ελλάδα δίνει δυναμικό «παρών» με πέντε δημοφιλείς προορισμούς και μάλιστα στις πρώτες θέσεις της λίστας. «Αργυρή» πρωταθλήτρια η Σαντορίνη, που καταλαμβάνει τη 2η θέση μετά τη Νίκαια της γαλλικής Ριβιέρας. Στην 3η θέση ακολουθεί η Κέρκυρα και στην 4η η Κρήτη. Η κοσμοπολίτικη Μύκονος φιγουράρει στην 7η θέση και η Ρόδος στη 19η. Οι περιγραφές ηχούν ιδιαίτερα ελκυστικές. «Η πρωτεύουσα του νησιού (σ. σ.: Σαντορίνης) είναι από τους πιο σαγηνευτικούς παραδοσιακούς οικισμούς του πλανήτη», οι διακοπές στην Κέρκυρα χαρακτηρίζονται «εμπειρία ζωής», η Ρόδος σκιαγραφείται ως ευλογημένος τόπος χάρη στην ηλιοφάνεια «300 μέρες τον χρόνο»... Οι ελληνικές πρωτιές αποκτούν ιδιαίτερη βαρύτητα, αν αναλογιστούμε ότι προήλθαν από τις αξιολογήσεις των εκατομμυρίων χρηστών της ιστοσελίδας, που παράλληλα αποτελεί «μπούσουλα» για όσους προγραμματίζουν τώρα τις καλοκαιρινές τους διακοπές. «Τα ελληνικά νησιά κερδίζουν τις εντυπώσεις των επισκεπτών, οι οποίοι ανέκαθεν ψήφιζαν τη χώρα μας ως κορυφαίο ταξιδιωτικό προορισμό» παρατηρεί ο κ. Θέμης Παπαδημόπουλος από το Open Tourism. «Φέτος οι εν λόγω πρωτιές έρχονται να μας υπενθυμίσουν κάτι που λόγω αρνητικής ψυχολογίας ξεχνάμε: ότι το αρχικό μας προϊόν είναι πολύ καλό και είναι στο χέρι μας η προβολή και προώθησή του».

Αν πέρυσι τέτοια εποχή όλα στρέφονταν εναντίον μας, φέτος φαίνεται ότι «κάτι» αλλάζει. Σε πρόσφατο δημοσίευμα της εφημερίδας «USA Today» ο αρθρογράφος προτρέπει τους Αμερικανούς να ταξιδέψουν στην Ελλάδα, όπως και στην Ιρλανδία και την Πορτογαλία, όπου οι τιμές λόγω κρίσης έγιναν προσιτές σε όλους. Πριν από λίγες εβδομάδες στο γαλλικό διαδικτυακό περιοδικό www. pros-du-tourisme. com δημοσιοποίησε αποτελέσματα δημοσκόπησης σε δείγμα 1.250 Γάλλων, που κατατάσσουν τη χώρα μας μέσα στους τρεις πρώτες ταξιδιωτικές επιλογές τους μετά την Ισπανία και την Ιταλία, «αντικαθιστώντας» την Τυνησία, που μοιραία «πέφτει» στην κατάταξη. «Οι γαλλόφωνοι τουρίστες μάς επιλέγουν και φέτος» σχολιάζει η κ. Πέγκυ Μπαλιτσάρη από το Guest Inn, το δίκτυο ελληνικών παραδοσιακών και αγροτουριστικών καταλυμάτων. «Πέρυσι στον κλάδο μας είχαμε άριστα αποτελέσματα και ελπίζουμε αυτό να συνεχιστεί και το 2011».

Οι πρώτες ενδείξεις, λοιπόν, για το φετινό καλοκαίρι είναι μάλλον ενθαρρυντικές. «Διαπιστώνουμε σημαντικές προκρατήσεις και σε λιγότερο γνωστά θέρετρα, Επτάνησα, Δ. Πελοπόννησο, Χαλκιδική» αναφέρει ο πρόεδρος των ελληνικών ταξιδιωτικών γραφείων, κ. Γ. Τελώνης. Η προέλευση των τουριστών διαφοροποιείται. «Υπάρχει αύξηση ενδιαφέροντος από την Ιταλία, τη Μ. Βρετανία και τη Ρωσία, το Ισραήλ και την Τουρκία», προσθέτει ο κ. Τελώνης. «Τα πρώτα χειροπιαστά οφέλη από την κρίση στη Β. Αφρική τα είδαμε στην κρουαζιέρα» επισημαίνει. Ωστόσο, οι αφίξεις από το εξωτερικό την περίοδο του Πάσχα είναι περιορισμένες. «Δεν πρέπει να υποτιμάμε την παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση: οι περισσότεροι δεν είναι σε θέση να πληρώσουν διακοπές στο εξωτερικό και το Πάσχα και το καλοκαίρι».

Από την Καθημερινή

Χάλκινο για το νησί μου, λοιπόν. Άντε και για το... χρυσό του χρόνου!!! :lol::lol::cheers:

^^^^

Νομίζω το αξίζει και με το παραπάνω!

^^

Και το δικό μου νησί 4ο... Όντως το αξίζει, όπως και η Σαντορίνη να είναι 2η...! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAI0oT_xYug&feature=player_embedded#at=55

:):)

poli kalo neo (?) video gia tin touristiki extrateia!!......kalo (ala oxi tipota kainourio :ohno:) touch me tous touristes na milane,


vevea na tonisoume pos einai oi idies ethnikotites pou xlevazoume, katigoroume, koroidevoume, kai vrizoume..........

gia marketing omos mas kanoun ta "amerikanakia" kai ta "agglakia" e? ;)

eleos...:bash:

^^

υπέροχο βίντεο :D

ZAI0oT_xYug

Αυτή είναι η Ελλάδα που αγαπώ... Μακάρι να αλλάξουμε μερικές νοοτροπίες και να αγαπήσουμε πραγματικά τον τόπο μας. Μετά θα νιώθουμε όλοι μας περήφανοι για την χώρα μας όταν θα λέμε ότι είναι η ΚΑΛΥΤΕΡΗ και ΟΜΟΡΦΟΤΕΡΗ χώρα του κόσμου. Μακάρι αυτή η κρίση να μας βγει στο τέλος σε καλό.

btw είχε και εικόνες από τα Χανιά :)

Η πλάκα είναι ότι μερικοί σχολιαστές κλαψουρίζουν που δεν έχουν λεφτά να πάνε σε ακριβά ξενοδοχεία!

Στο μεταξύ προωθείται ένα άλλο είδος εξειδικευμένου τουρισμού: :colgate:

http://www.espressonews.gr/default.asp?pid=79&la=2&catid=1&artid=1369115

Προτείνω να κηρυχθούν τα Μάταλα "legal drug zone" για να κλέψουμε τους τουρίστες από το Άμστερνταμ. :)

Greek Airport Arrivals Rise 5.6% in First Four Months of 2011
By Natalie Weeks -

Greek airports had a 5.6 percent increase in international arrivals in the first four months of 2011 from the year-earlier period, according to data collected from 13 airports by the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises.

Passenger arrivals from abroad increased to 1.15 million in the period through April 30, from 1.09 million in the same period last year, the Athens-based association said in a statement posted on its website. Airports on the popular holiday islands of Kos, Rhodes and Zakinthos saw international arrivals more than double, according to the statement.

Athens International Airport, Greece’s biggest, had a 4.9 percent drop in arrivals from abroad in the four-month period. It was the only airport to mark a decline.

In April, international arrivals advanced 24 percent to 541,974. Data were collected from the 13 airports that comprise about 95 percent of all arrivals from abroad.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-18/greek-airport-arrivals-rise-5-6-in-first-four-months-of-2011.html

And it's not even the summer peak tourist season..

^^

I was pretty sure about this.

.
.
.

Athens International Airport, Greece’s biggest, had a 4.9 percent drop in arrivals from abroad in the four-month period. It was the only airport to mark a decline.

I wonder why :lol:

Από in.gr
Τουλάχιστον ο Καμίνης, καταλαβαίνει πως ο τουρισμός, έχει περιθώριο ανάπτυξης στην Αθήνα και επενδύει. Τα μέτρα όμως μου φαίνονται κάπως....

http://news.in.gr/greece/article/?aid=1231109280


«Βασική στρατηγική προτεραιότητα»

Στρατηγικό σχέδιο για τον τουρισμό της Αθήνας παρουσίασε ο Γ.Καμίνης


Αθήνα
Το νέο στρατηγικό σχέδιο δράσης για τον τουρισμό της Αθήνας την περίοδο 2011 – 2012, που θα υλοποιήσει η Εταιρεία Τουριστικής και Οικονομικής Ανάπτυξης του Δήμου Αθηναίων (ΕΤΟΑΑ), παρουσίασε ο Δήμαρχος Αθηναίων κ. Γ.Καμίνης, τονίζοντας ότι η βιώσιμη τουριστική ανάπτυξη της πρωτεύουσας «αποτελεί βασική στρατηγική προτεραιότητα».

Ο κ. Καμίνης ανακοίνωσε στο πλαίσιο αυτό τη σύσταση της Δημοτικής Επιτροπής για τον Τουρισμό της Αθήνας με τη συμμετοχή του υπουργείου Πολιτισμού και Τουρισμού, της Περιφέρειας Αττικής και όλων των κλαδικών φορέων του τουρισμού, με στόχο την άμεση ανάληψη κοινών δράσεων για τη διαχείριση και προβολή της πόλης.

Πιο συγκεκριμένα, ο Δήμος Αθηναίων σχεδιάζει τη διεύρυνση της συμμετοχής της Δημοτικής Αστυνομίας σε μικτά κλιμάκια μαζί με την ΕΛ.ΑΣ., την προώθηση της αποκέντρωσης κοινωνικών υπηρεσιών, και την αύξηση του αστικού φωτισμού και της διοργάνωσης πολιτιστικών εκδηλώσεων για την τόνωση της παρουσίας δημοτών στο ιστορικό κέντρο, καθώς και την αξιοποίηση εγκαταλελειμμένων ακινήτων σε συνεργασία με το δημόσιο και την ιδιωτική πρωτοβουλία, για την προσέλκυση νέων κατοίκων και επιχειρήσεων.

Οι βασικοί άξονες του σχεδίου

Αναλυτικά, οι βασικοί άξονες του νέου σχεδίου δράσης για την τουριστική ανάπτυξη και προβολή της Αθήνας, περιλαμβάνουν:

· Μητροπολιτική Συμμαχία για τον τουρισμό της Αθήνας,
· Ενίσχυση της δραστηριότητας του Γραφείου Συνεδρίων Αθηνών,
· Επέκταση του Δικτύου Πληροφόρησης Επισκεπτών με δύο νέα γραφεία πληροφόρησης επισκεπτών (Info-Point) στη συμβολή των δρόμων Λ. Αμαλίας και Δ. Αρεοπαγίτου καθώς και στον ΟΛΠ στον χώρο άφιξης των κρουαζιερόπλοιων,
· Ανάπτυξη της Εμπορικής Δραστηριότητας με τα επίσημα τουριστικά προϊόντα του Δήμου Αθηναίων «Breathtaking Athens»
· Εντατικοποίηση προβολής σε διαδίκτυο και Social Media στα οποία η πόλη ήδη έχει σελίδες και προφίλ με χιλιάδες μέλη και «φίλους» από ολόκληρο τον κόσμο,
· Τουριστική προβολή με διοργάνωση press trips για ξένους δημοσιογράφους, συμμετοχή σε επιλεγμένες τουριστικές εκθέσεις και ανασχεδιασμό σειράς έντυπου προωθητικού υλικού,
· Δημιουργία μηχανισμού διαχείρισης κρίσεων,
· Έναρξη προγράμματος Athens Locals,
· Σύσταση και λειτουργία του Athens Film Office, για την προσέλκυση ξένων και εγχώριων παραγωγών
· Ανάπτυξη προγράμματος για Trade Travel, για την προώθηση της Αθήνας σε tour operators
· Ανάπτυξη προγράμματος City Pass, με κάρτα πρόσβασης στα μέσα και τα αξιοθέατα της πόλης
· Συμμετοχή σε Ευρωπαϊκά Προγράμματα μέσω του ΕΣΠΑ, με δύο προτάσεις για τη σύσταση του μηχανισμού διαχείρισης κρίσεων και για τον σχεδιασμό και λειτουργία ενός συστήματος διαχείρισης ροής επισκεπτών στα πρότυπα του εξωτερικού.
· Διεθνή Δικτύωση και συνεργασίες με διεθνείς φορείς τουρισμού

Αυξημένη η προσέλευση Ρώσων τουριστών στην Ελλάδα


Η Ελλάδα αναμένει εφέτος περισσότερους από 650.000 τουρίστες από τη Ρωσία, δήλωσε στο κρατικό πρακτορείο ΙΤΑΡ-ΤΑΣΣ ο υφυπουργός Πολιτισμού και Τουρισμού, Γιώργος Νικητιάδης.

http://www.zougla.gr/page.ashx?pid=2&aid=341784&cid=4

^^ Οι Ρώσοι, που ήλθαν φέτος στη Ρόδο, έχουν ξοδέψει πολύ χρήμα. Από φίλους που δουλεύουν reception, έχω ακούσει πως ήταν πολύ large. Άλλαζαν κάθε μέρα 500ευρα και τσακώνονταν ποιός θα προλάβει να νοικιάσει τις λίγες Mercedes που είχαν τα rent a car. Ελπίζω να καταφέρουν, να συνεχίσουν, να προσελκύουν αυτού του επιπέδου Ρώσους. Οι Τούρκοι, δεν κατάφεραν να προσελκύσουν Ρώσους καλού οικονομικού επιπέδου στα θέρετρα της Μαύρης Θάλασσας (αντίθετα γέμισαν από πολύ χαμηλού επιπέδου) και τους έχει γυρίσει μπούμεραγκ. Έχουν πολύ μεγάλα προβλήματα. Η κατάσταση είναι μακράν χειρότερη από αυτή που δημιουργούσαν πριν μερικά χρόνια οι Άγγλοι στα Μάλια και το Φαληράκι.

Το Hollywood στη Θεσσαλονίκη, τη Χαλκιδική και τη Βεργίνα

Τις φυσικές ομορφιές της Χαλκιδικής, την αυθεντικότητα της Θεσσαλονίκης και την ιστορία της Βεργίνας θα γνωρίσει πλέον το Hollywood.

Ένα 7μελές συνεργείο της τηλεοπτικής εκπομπής EXTRA, που προβάλλεται στο NBC, με παρουσιαστή τον γνωστό ηθοποιό Michael Corbett, ήρθε στην Ελλάδα για να ετοιμάσει μια ημίωρη life style εκπομπή του ειδικού αφιερώματος «Mansions & Millionaires».

Τα αφιερώματα, επικεντρώνονται στην τουριστική προβολή περιοχών της Ελλάδας, με έμφαση στα πολυτελή ξενοδοχεία, υψηλής ποιότητος εστιατόρια, πολιτιστικούς και φυσικούς θησαυρούς, διάσημους επισκέπτες κλπ.

Γυρίσματα πραγματοποιήθηκαν σε πολυτελή resorts της Χαλκιδικής, στο ιστορικό κέντρο και τα κάστρα της Θεσσαλονίκης, στο μοναδικό μουσείο Βασιλικών Τάφων της Βεργίνας.

More here: http://www.voria.gr/index.php?module=news&func=display&sid=55582

ΔΙΕΘΝΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΡΙΣΤΙΚΕΣ ΑΦΙΞΕΙΣ ΣΤΑ ΚΥΡΙΟΤΕΡΑ ΑΕΡΟΔΡΟΜΙΑ, ΙΑΝ-ΙΟΥΛ 2011/2010-
ΠΡΟΣΩΡΙΝΑ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ

Αθήνα.............. -2,74%
Θεσ/κη................ +11,77%
Ρόδος .............. +28,26%
Κως ............. +26,25%
Κέρκυρα ............... +8,35%
Ηράκλειο............ +14,42%
Χανιά............ + 8,51%
Ζάκυνθος.......... + 6,72%
Κεφαλονιά .............. + 3,56%
Σάμος ............ + 7,36%
Σκιάθος............. +2,37%
Άκτιο ................... + 1,95%
Σαντορίνη.............. +8,23%

Σύνολο ............ +9,95%

http://www.sete.gr/files/Media/Statistika/Greece/Tourist%20Arrivals/Arrivals%20Airports/110808_JULY_2011_10%28billingual%20version%29.pdf

^^

Όλα + εκτός της Αθήνας... Αναμενόμενο :)

I'm surprised nobody posted this.


Stars align to send Greek tourism figures soaring

By Stathis Kousounis

A variety of factors contributed to the impressive rise in tourist traffic this summer season, which is expected to hit a record high of 16.5 million visitors by the end of the year.

The main reason is without doubt the political unrest in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, which compelled thousands of tourists who traditionally travel to destinations such as Egypt and Morocco to seek safer holidays in places including Greece and its main competitors Turkey, Spain and Cyprus.

Meanwhile, another contributing factor to the boom this season was the agreement by hoteliers to keep their prices competitive despite the current difficulties, as well as the government’s decision to decrease value-added tax on accommodation, both moves that made Greece attractive in terms of cost.

Also, a number of external factors positively affected the local tourism industry. For example, speeding up the visa-issuing process for visitors from new origin markets such as Russia resulted in a major influx of visitors from that country, as did the launch of a major campaign to promote Greece as a destination in Israel and a decision to make it easier for Green Passport-holding Turks to come to Greece.

However, things were not so rosy regarding domestic tourism, which saw a significant slump in accord with the economic crisis and people’s shrinking budgets. According to official figures, Greeks cut back significantly on the number of destinations they visited this summer, on the number of days they took off for vacations and on their holiday spending.

Another major factor that contributed to the growth in foreign visitors was the significant increase in the number of charter and low-budget flights to Greece from abroad, and especially to the country’s most popular holiday destinations.

The islands of Rhodes and Kos, for example, which lead in the number of charter flights they receive each year, respectively enjoyed rises of 28.3 and 26.2 percent in the seven months from April through October this year compared to last. Meanwhile, other destinations around the country started making a concerted effort before the start of the season to attract more low-budget and charter flights, including the Ionian island of Corfu, the region of Magnesia in central Greece and the northern port city of Thessaloniki.

Cruise ship tourism has also seen a good year, according to the data, despite the fact that Greece has not fully lifted cabotage in accordance with requests by major cruise operators that want to use Greek ports as the start and end points of their cruises.

According to official figures, the number of cruise ships that sailed into the port of Piraeus in the first six months of 2011 rose by 5.1 percent compared to last year, while the number of passengers leaped from 80,000 to 139,000, or 72.9 percent, in the same period.

Meanwhile, the port of Katakolo in the western Peloponnese welcomed 460 cruise ships in the January-August period this year, compared to 360 in the same period in 2010, and Rhodes saw a 1.8 percent increase in the number of tourists from cruises who visited the island in the same period compared to last year. In fact, it is estimated that by the end of 2011, some 600,000 cruise tourists will have visited the southeastern Aegean island.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_13/09/2011_406171

Also this year in Kavala - Chrisoupoli and Keramoti I have seen according the number plates of their cars hundreds of Bulgarian tourists, Serbians, Romanians, tourists from a country that I cannot remember now (the plate is white with red numbers and letters and there is a symbol on it too), Netherlands, Germany, few from Italy and Turkey and one from the UK.
Also somewhere I've read that there was a big increase of tourists in Greece but i can't remember the numbers.

^^ The projected figure for this year is 16,5 million, which will be a record, according to an article in Kathimerini. It's not much higher from the current record, but it is a major jump from the slump of 2009-2010. So, hopefully the trend continues, and we head for 17-18 million in the next couple years. The increase in tourism has been attributed to the increase in low-cost carrier flights from Northern Europe, turmoil in the Middle East/North Africa, and increase in arrivals from eastern Europe, particularly Russia.

I would very much like to see the visa requirement for Russians lifted by the European Union, seeing that Russians don't really emigrate from Russia anymore, and that Russians are a growing tourist market for Southern Europe (Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy).

I have told you about cruise ships many times... They made the difference this year...

skyduster now that I have seen the 16.5, I think it was saying the tourists this year in Greece would hit the 17.5 million.

Τουρισμός: Αυξημένες αφίξεις και τον Σεπτέμβριο

Με υψηλά διψήφια στην πλειοψηφία τους ποσοστά αφίξεων έκλεισε ο Σεπτέμβριος σε σημαντικούς τουριστικούς προορισμούς της χώρας. Με βάση τα πρώτα στοιχεία διεθνών αφίξεων των αεροδρομίων, αύξηση 14,4% παρουσιάζει η Ζάκυνθος, 14,35% η Κως (141.799 επισκέπτες από 124.004 τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2010), ενώ ακολουθεί η Ρόδος με 14,09% (285.144 επιβάτες από 249.929 το 2010).

Κατά 13,06% ενισχύθηκε η κίνηση στο αεροδρόμιο «Μακεδονία» της Θεσσαλονίκης (136.283 επισκέπτες από 120.551), που τροφοδοτεί τη θερινή περίοδο τη Χαλκιδική και την Πιερία, ενώ στα Χανιά το ποσοστό ανόδου είναι 12,85% (112.435 επισκέπτες από 99.636), στην Κέρκυρα 12% (131.736 επισκέπτες από 117.620 το 2010) και στο Ηράκλειο 9,55% (356.006 επισκέπτες από 324.946 το 2010).

«Ρεκόρ» αφίξεων προσδοκούν οι τουριστικοί παράγοντες της Ρόδου, καθώς αναμένεται ότι οι διεθνείς αφίξεις εφέτος θα ξεπεράσουν τα 2,5 εκατ. Σύμφωνα με στοιχεία που ανακοίνωσε η Ένωση Ξενοδόχων του νησιού, στο εννεάμηνο Ιανουαρίου - Σεπτεμβρίου, οι ξένοι επισκέπτες που ήρθαν αεροπορικώς στο νησί αυξήθηκαν κατά 20,87% σε σύγκριση με πέρυσι, φθάνοντας τα 1.605.961 άτομα, έναντι 1.328.695 το 2010.

http://www.tovima.gr/finance/article/?aid=423959&h1=true

^^ Ελπίζω οτι αυτές οι αυξήσεις θα κινητοποιήσουν επεκτάσεις ή ανακαινίσεις στα πιο πολυσύχναστα ελληνικά αεροδρόμια...όχι μόνο της Θεσσαλονίκης και του Ηρακλείου, αλλά και των Χανίων, της Ρόδου, της Κέρκυρας, της Ζακύνθου, της Κω, και άλλα αεροδρόμια όπου η επιβατική κίνηση έχει ξεπεράσει τη χωρητικότητα των αεροσταθμών χτισμένων στις δεκαετίες 1970/80.

skyduster now that I have seen the 16.5, I think it was saying the tourists this year in Greece would hit the 17.5 million.

Μπορεί να αποδειχθείς σωστός. Ας δούμε πως προχωρήσει και ο Οκτώβρης, ο τελευταίος μήνας της τουριστικής σαιζόν.

I have told you about cruise ships many times... They made the difference this year...

Correct....cruise ships played a role too.

Καλά νέα από την Αθήνα (tovima.gr):

Ξενοδοχεία Αθήνας: Αύξηση στα τετράστερα τον Αύγουστο με αναδιανομή της «πίτας»
Το Λονδίνο πρώτο σε πληρότητα μεταξύ των ευρωπαϊκών προορισμών, το Παρίσι πρώτο σε έσοδο ανά διαθέσιμο δωμάτιο
Αύξηση -έστω και μικρή- του τουρισμού στην Αθήνα τον εφετινό Αύγουστο

Με μικρή αύξηση 1,13% σε σχέση με πέρυσι έκλεισε ο Αύγουστος για τις πληρότητες των ξενοδοχείων της Αθήνας - Αττικής. Με βάση τα στοιχεία της Ενωσης Ξενοδόχων Αθηνών - Αττικής (ΕΞΑΑ) τη μεγαλύτερη αύξηση σημείωσαν τα ξενοδοχεία τεσσάρων αστέρων με ποσοστό 24,40%, καθώς η μέση πληρότητα διαμορφώθηκε σε 63,10% από 50,70% το 2010. Ενισχυμένη κατά 2,70% ήταν η πληρότητα των ξενοδοχείων πέντε αστέρων φθάνοντας ποσοστό 57,50% από 55,90%, ενώ πτώση 10,50% κατέγραψαν τα ξενοδοχεία τριών και δύο αστέρων με ποσοστό 60,60% από 67,70%. Σύμφωνα με την ΕΞΑΑ η εικόνα των ξενοδοχείων τεσσάρων αστέρων, σε αντιδιαστολή με αυτά των δύο και τριών, αποδίδεται περισσότερο στην αναδιανομή της υφιστάμενης «πίτας» λόγω τιμολογιακής πολιτικής, παρά την προσέλκυση νέων πελατών υψηλότερων κατηγοριών.
Για τον ίδιο μήνα σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο, τη μεγαλύτερη πληρότητα παρουσιάζει το Λονδίνο, με ποσοστό 81,8% (μεταβολή 0,2% σε σχέση με το 2010), ενώ τη μεγαλύτερη αύξηση σε ποσοστό καταγράφει η Βαρκελώνη με 6,4% (71,7% από 67,4% το 2010). Αντίστοιχα στην κορυφή της κατάταξης για τη μέση τιμή δωματίου (ARR) εμφανίζεται η Κωνσταντινούπολη με 13,9% (151,62 ευρώ από 133,98 ευρώ το 2010), ενώ η μέση τιμή δωματίου στην Αθήνα παρουσιάζει μείωση 1,4% (106,88 ευρώ από 108,4). Επίσης σε ό,τι αφορά το μέσο έσοδο ανά διαθέσιμο δωμάτιο (RevPar), πιο ενισχυμένο από τους ευρωπαϊκούς προορισμούς είναι το Παρίσι, με αύξηση 17,2% (181 ευρώ από 154,43 το 2010) και ακολουθεί το Αμστερνταμ με 13,6% (102,04 ευρώ από 89,86), ενώ και η Αθήνα καταγράφει αύξηση 4,8% (67,28 ευρώ από 64,20).

Μικρό σχόλιο: η μέση τιμή δωματίου στην Πόλη είναι ακριβότερη από την Αθήνα. Μα η Τουρκία δεν ήταν ο σούπερ-ντούπερ φτηνός προορισμός της Μεσογείου, το αντίπαλο δέος της Ελλάδας; Ή απλά το αυτομαστίγωμα έχει φτάσει πλέον σε επίπεδο μη αναστρέψιμο;

Διαφορετικές προβλέψεις για τον τουρισμό στην Ελλάδα το 2012.

Γ. Νικητιάδης: Νέα αύξηση στον τουρισμό το 2012 (http://www.capital.gr/News.asp?id=1371704)
www.capital.gr

«Περιμένω αύξηση 10% και φέτος στον τουρισμό, αν ακολουθηθεί η ίδια οργανωμένη στρατηγική προώθησης του ελληνικού τουριστικού προϊόντος στις αγορές και πετύχουμε την πλήρη άρση του καμποτάζ», λέει στο Capital.gr ο υφυπουργός Πολιτισμού-Τουρισμού, κ. Γιώργος Νικητιάδης.

Εκτός από την άρση του καμποτάζ, κομβικό σημείο για την αύξηση των αφίξεων είναι και η προσέλκυση των αεροπορικών εταιρειών χαμηλού κόστους, σημειώνει ο κ. Νικητιάδης.

Έμφαση επίσης θα δοθεί στην προώθηση του ελληνικού τουριστικού προϊόντος τόσο στις παραδοσιακές αγορές της Ευρώπης, όπως και στις νέες (Ισραήλ, Ρωσία, Κίνα, Ινδία).

Ακόμα οι εναλλακτικές μορφές τουρισμού, μπορούν να αποδώσουν θετικά σε αφίξεις και έσοδα και κυρίως να συντελέσουν στην επιμήκυνση της τουριστικής περιόδου.

Συγκεκριμένα ο κ. Νικητιάδης εκτιμά πως:

Το 2012 οι Ρώσοι τουρίστες που θα επισκεφθούν την Ελλάδα θα φτάσουν το 1 εκατομμύριο άτομα (από 650.000 αφίξεις το 2011). Αν επαληθευθεί η πρόβλεψη η Ελλάδα θα έχει υποδεχθεί το 10% των Ρώσων τουριστών.

Αναμένεται σημαντική αύξηση από Ισραήλ και Γερμανία. Η αγορά της μεγάλης Βρετανίας αναμένεται να μην έχει απώλειες.

Οι αεροπορικές εταιρείες χαμηλού κόστους μπορούν να ενισχύσουν σημαντικά τις αφίξεις. Ας σημειωθεί ότι 400 εκατομμύρια τουρίστες ταξιδεύουν κάθε χρόνο στην Ευρώπη με εταιρείες χαμηλού κόστους. Φέτος δύο τέτοιες εταιρείες –η Rayanair και η Easy Jet – θα πραγματοποιούν πτήσεις σε Κω, Ρόδο, Ηράκλειο, Θεσσαλονίκη, Βόλο, Κέρκυρα, Κεφαλονιά.

Η κρουαζιέρα μπορεί να κάνει τη διαφορά στον ελληνικό τουρισμό, σημειώνει χαρακτηριστικά ο κ. Νικητιάδης και στόχος είναι να υπάρξει η πλήρης άρση του καμποτάζ.

Μάλιστα επανέλαβε ότι η Ελλάδα μπορεί μέχρι το 2015 να υποδέχεται 25 εκατομμύρια τουρίστες το χρόνο, αρκεί να ακολουθήσει την ίδια οργανωμένη στρατηγική προώθησης του ελληνικού τουριστικού προϊόντος.

Για παράδειγμα ανέφερε ότι χρειάζεται άμεσα να προχωρήσει στη δημιουργία υποδομών στα λιμάνια για την προσέλκυση μεγάλων κρουαζιερόπλοιων (έχουν ήδη ανακοινωθεί ενέργειες για το λιμάνι του Πειραιά με στόχο να γίνει το πρώτο λιμάνι της Μεσογείου, αλλά και για το λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου). Όπως λέει, αν κάνουμε ό,τι πρέπει, δηλαδή 25-30 μεγάλες προβλήτες ανά την Ελλάδα για την υποδοχή κρουαζιερόπλοιων, η κρουαζιέρα μπορεί να προσθέσει 4% στο ΑΕΠ. Και σημείωσε πως μόνο η εταιρεία κρουαζιέρας Royal Caribbean θα μπορούσε να φέρει 750.000 επιβάτες στο Ηράκλειο, σε μια τριετία, όταν υπάρξει η πλήρης άρση του καμποτάζ.

Πηγή:www.capital.gr



«Καμπανάκι» για την τουριστική κίνηση το 2012 (http://www.imerisia.gr/article.asp?catid=12333&subid=2&pubid=112796849)
Η επιστροφή τουριστών στις χώρες της βόρειας Αφρικής θα στερήσει έσοδα από την Ελλάδα
www.imerisia.gr

Εξαιρετικά δύσκολο θα είναι το 2012 για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό εκτιμά η Γενική Πανελλαδική Ομοσπονδία Επιχειρήσεων Τουρισμού (ΓΕΠΟΕΤ) επισημαίνοντας σε σχετική ανακοίνωσή της πως αντικρίζοντας τα «λουκέτα» που έχουν μπει στα καταστήματα της πρωτεύουσας είναι φυσικό να επέρχεται κατάθλιψη και να βλέπουν δυσοίωνο το μέλλον των επιχειρήσεών τους. Παράλληλα η ΓΕΠΟΕΤ εκτιμά πως τη χρονιά που διανύουμε θα επανακάμψει το τουριστικό ρεύμα προς τις χώρες της βόρειας Αφρικής και ιδιαίτερα στην Αίγυπτο στερώντας σημαντικό αριθμό τουριστών από την Ελλάδα καθώς τα πράγματα έχουν αρχίσει να εξομαλύνονται εκεί μετά τις εκλογές.

Οσον αφορά στην απαρίθμηση των αρνητικών δεδομένων η ΓΕΠΟΕΤ τονίζει ότι η κατά κεφαλή δαπάνη των υποψήφιων τουριστών από τις ευρωπαϊκές χώρες προέλευσης θα είναι υποδεέστερη σε σχέση με το προηγούμενο έτος, διότι σε όλες αυτές τις χώρες, εκτός της Γερμανίας, έχουν γίνει περικοπές, που με τη σειρά τους προμηνύουν ότι οι πολίτες των χωρών αυτών θα ταξιδέψουν και θα δαπανήσουν λιγότερο. Ως εκ τούτου, ο ανταγωνισμός θα είναι πολύ μεγαλύτερος και θα φανεί σε ακόμα μεγαλύτερο βαθμό τι κάναμε το προηγούμενο έτος σωστά και τι όχι, όπως χαρακτηριστικά τονίζει η ΓΕΠΟΕΤ.

Κράτος
Ιδιαίτερη αναφορά γίνεται και στις υπηρεσίες του κράτους αλλά και στο συνδικαλιστικό κίνημα από την ΓΕΠΟΕΤ: «Η επιφυλακτικότητα, η αγωνία και ο φόβος για το τι μέλλει γενέσθαι στην οικονομία της χώρας, πλανώνται σαν 'φάντασμα' στις τάξεις των επιχειρηματιών του κλάδου του τουρισμού για τη νέα τουριστική χρονιά και υπό το πρίσμα αυτό οι εκτιμήσεις για την εξέλιξή της κάθε άλλο παρά αισιόδοξες διαγράφονται, με την παραμονή στο ευρώ να είναι ζήτημα ζωής και θανάτου για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό και κατ' επέκταση για την οικονομία. Όμως και η συνεισφορά όλων των Ελλήνων πολιτών είναι απαραίτητη καθώς το ζητούμενο είναι η ηρεμία της χώρας, να μη φοβίζουμε τον τουρίστα με τις κινητοποιήσεις οι οποίες πρέπει να γίνονται όπως και στις άλλες χώρες οργανωμένα, χωρίς έκτροπα, ώστε να μη ματώσει ο τουρισμός και η εγχώρια οικονομία. Εδώ, ένα μεγάλο μέρος της ευθύνης ανήκει στις υπηρεσίες του κράτους και στο συνδικαλιστικό κίνημα. Τέλος, τα μουσεία και οι αρχαιολογικοί χώροι που πολύ λίγο ακούγονται αλλά αποτελούν κυρίαρχο κομμάτι της αλυσίδας του τουριστικού προϊόντος, οφείλουν να αποτελέσουν την προτεραιότητα όλων μας, παραμένοντας ανοιχτά όσο το δυνατόν περισσότερες ώρες, ανεξαρτήτως συνθηκών».

Ο πρόεδρος των εν Ελλάδι τουριστικών πρακτόρων Γιώργος Τελώνης τόνισε στο ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ πως είναι ζωτικής σημασίας για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό η παραμονή της Ελλάδας στο ευρώ και διευκρίνισε πως δεν περνά καν από το μυαλό του ότι μπορεί να βγούμε εκτός.

Οσον αφορά στην πορεία των αφίξεων για το 2012 ο κ. Τελώνης δίστασε να προβεί σε οποιαδήποτε πρόβλεψη δεδομένης της υφιστάμενης κατάστασης. Μάλιστα έκρουσε τον κώδωνα του κινδύνου για δύο ζητήματα που είναι ικανά να επηρεάσουν την τουριστική κίνηση του 2012.

Χαρακτηριστικά αναφέρει πως θεωρεί «παραπλανητικό να μιλάμε για σημαντική άνοδο των αφίξεων το 2012, όταν ο στόχος θα πρέπει να είναι η τόνωση της ανταγωνιστικότητας του ελληνικού τουρισμού».



Σωσίβιο στην οικονομία πετούν τα κρουαζιερόπλοια (http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=22770&subid=2&pubid=63599684)
Η άρση του καμποτάζ φέρνει περισσότερα πλοία και έσοδα στα λιμάνια
www.ethnos.gr

Το 2012 μπορεί να σηματοδοτήσει μια νέα εποχή για την κρουαζιέρα στην Ελλάδα. Ηδη 800 κρουαζιερόπλοια έχουν ανακοινώσει ότι θα προσεγγίσουν φέτος το λιμάνι του Πειραιά, ενώ πέρυσι για ολόκληρη την τουριστική περίοδο το πρώτο λιμάνι της χώρας είχε υποδεχτεί (Home Port και Transit) 936 κρουαζιερόπλοια, τα οποία μετέφεραν στην Ελλάδα 2,5 εκατ. τουρίστες (αύξηση 35%).

Το κρουαζιερόπλοιο που έκανε «ποδαρικό» στο 2012 είναι το πλοίο «Magnifica», του ναυτιλιακού κολοσσού της Mediterranean Shipping Company, το οποίο αποβίβασε 3.200 τουρίστες. Και το υποδέχτηκε η πολιτική ηγεσία του υπουργείου Ανάπτυξης, Ανταγωνιστικότητας και Ναυτιλίας με επικεφαλής τον υπουργό Μιχάλη Χρυσοχοΐδη και το ΔΣ του ΟΛΠ, με επικεφαλής τον πρόεδρο και διευθύνοντα σύμβουλο Γιώργο Ανωμερίτη.

Αύξηση επισκεπτών
«Η κρουαζιέρα μπορεί να κάνει τη διαφορά στον ελληνικό τουρισμό», δηλώνει στο ΕτΚ ο υφυπουργός Πολιτισμού - Τουρισμού Γιώργος Νικητιάδης και, όπως λέει, στόχος είναι να υπάρξει η πλήρης άρση του καμποτάζ.

Από τα πρώτα στοιχεία που έχουν στη διάθεσή τους τα υπουργεία Ανάπτυξης και Πολιτισμού - Τουρισμού αλλά και ο ΟΛΠ φαίνεται ότι φέτος ο αριθμός των τουριστών που θα έλθουν στην Ελλάδα με κρουαζιερόπλοια θα είναι σημαντικά μεγαλύτερος σε σχέση με πέρυσι. Και αυτό επειδή η πλήρης άρση του καμποτάζ, που δρομολογείται μέσα στον χρόνο, θα κάνει πιο εύκολη την πρόσβαση των κρουαζιερόπλοιων στα ελληνικά λιμάνια.

Η τροπολογία για την πλήρη άρση του καμποτάζ συζητήθηκε στο Υπουργικό Συμβούλιο και εντός των ημερών παίρνει τον δρόμο για τη Βουλή.

Ανοδικά θα κινηθούν οι προσεγγίσεις κρουαζιερόπλοιων και σε Ρόδο, Σαντορίνη, Ηράκλειο, Μύκονο, καθώς εκτιμάται ότι περισσότερα από 1.000 κρουαζιερόπλοια θα δέσουν μέσα στη χρονιά σε καθένα από αυτά τα λιμάνια. Αυξητική είναι η τάση και για το Κατάκολο, τη Θεσσαλονίκη, τον Βόλο, την Κω.

Ο κ. Νικητιάδης είναι αισιόδοξος για την πορεία της ελληνικής κρουαζιέρας και σημειώνει πως κρίσιμα θεωρούνται τα επόμενα 3-4 χρόνια, διάστημα στο οποίο η Ελλάδα θα μπορέσει να διεκδικήσει ένα σημαντικό μερίδιο της παγκόσμιας κρουαζιέρας.

Ειδικά για τον Πειραιά σημειώνουμε ότι στόχος είναι να εξελιχθεί σε πρώτο λιμάνι της Μεσογείου και προσδοκά να υποδέχεται 5 εκατ. επιβάτες κρουαζιέρας το 2016 (από 2,5 εκατ. το 2011), αλλά και να αυξήσει τα έσοδά του στα 700 εκατ. ευρώ από 360 εκατ. ευρώ φέτος.

Το ποδαρικό
Θερμή υποδοχή στον πρώτο επισκέπτη

Το πρώτο κρουαζιερόπλοιο που έδεσε στον Πειραιά είναι το «MSC MAGNIFICA», το οποίο εγκαινίασε και τη φετινή περίοδο κρουαζιέρας. Το υποδέχθηκαν στον Σταθμό Επιβατών Α΄ (Αγίου Νικολάου), η πολιτική ηγεσία του υπουργείου Ανάπτυξης, Ανταγωνιστικότητας και Ναυτιλίας και το ΔΣ του ΟΛΠ ΑΕ. «Η Ελλάδα γίνεται πλέον πιο φιλική επιχειρηματικά και πιο προσιτή στις επενδύσεις», δήλωσε ο υπουργός κ. Χρυσοχοΐδης κατά τη διάρκεια της εκδήλωσης για την υποδοχή του πλοίου και υπογράμμισε:

«Ως χώρα έχουμε ανάγκη την κρουαζιέρα και από έσοδα στον τόπο, προκειμένου να ενισχύσουμε τις θέσεις εργασίας, να δουλέψουν οι νέοι και η αγορά.

«Οσο πιο ελκυστική γίνεται στην Ελλάδα η κρουαζιέρα τόσο θα μεγαλώνουν τα έσοδα και η δυνατότητά μας ως χώρα να ξεπεράσουμε την κρίση».

Το κρουαζιερόπλοιο «MSC MAGNIFICA» κατασκευάστηκε στη Γαλλία το 2010. Εχει μήκος 293,8 μ., ύψος 51,77 με 17 καταστρώματα, μεταφορική ικανότητα 3.200 επιβατών και διαθέτει θέατρο 1.200 θέσεων, αθλητικούς χώρους, καθώς και ειδικά διαμορφωμένη αναδιπλούμενη οροφή, ιδανική για χειμερινές κρουαζιέρες.

ΠΕΙΡΑΙΑΣ
Θα μπορεί να δέχεται μέχρι και 17 πλοία

Το υπουργείο Ανάπτυξης Ανταγωνιστικότητας και Ναυτιλίας ανακοίνωσε πρόσφατα ότι ξεκινούν δύο μεγάλα έργα στο λιμάνι συνολικού προϋπολογισμού 350 εκατ. ευρώ (με χρηματοδότηση από το ΕΣΠΑ). Τα έργα αναμένεται να έχουν ολοκληρωθεί μέχρι το 2016 και αφορούν την επέκταση του νότιου τμήματος του λιμανιού, ώστε να δημιουργηθούν έξι νέες θέσεις ελλιμενισμού για μεγάλα κρουαζιερόπλοια και την κατασκευή υπερυψωμένου τρένου σταθερής τροχιάς (monorail).

Μετά την επέκταση στο λιμάνι θα μπορούν να δένουν 17 μεγάλα κρουαζιερόπλοια -μήκους ακόμα και 400 μέτρων- προσφέροντας σημαντικά έσοδα όχι μόνο στο λιμάνι, αλλά και στις επιχειρήσεις του Πειραιά και της Αθήνας. Οταν τα έργα ολοκληρωθούν, ο Πειραιάς μπορεί να καταστεί home porting λιμάνι στην κρουαζιέρα, δηλαδή λιμάνι αποβίβασης και επιβίβασης για τους τουρίστες κρουαζιέρας. Η κίνηση αυτή έχει πολλαπλά οφέλη για την ελληνική οικονομία, αφού οι επιβάτες στα home porting λιμάνια δαπανούν διπλάσια χρήματα σε σχέση με εκείνους που περνούν τράνζιτ.

Η δαπάνη
Υπολογίζεται ότι η κατά κεφαλή δαπάνη για τον τράνζιτ επιβάτη είναι στα 70 ευρώ (μέσος όρος) και υπερδιπλασιάζεται στα 150 ευρώ για τους home porting. Δηλαδή ο τζίρος για μπορεί να ξεπεράσει τα 750 εκατ. ευρώ με 5 εκατ. επιβάτες το 2016 για τον Πειραιά και την Αθήνα.

Σύμφωνα με τον κ. Νικητιάδη η κρουαζιέρα μπορεί να προσθέσει 4% στο ΑΕΠ της χώρας. Ομως η Ελλάδα θα πρέπει να προχωρήσει άμεσα στη δημιουργία υποδομών στα λιμάνια, να δημιουργηθούν δηλαδή 25-30 μεγάλες προβλήτες ανά την Ελλάδα για την υποδοχή κρουαζιερόπλοιων. Και υπογραμμίζει πως μόνο η εταιρεία κρουαζιέρας Royal Caribbean θα μπορούσε να φέρει 750.000 επιβάτες στο Ηράκλειο, σε μία τριετία, όταν υπάρξει η πλήρης άρση του καμποτάζ.

Μάλιστα επανέλαβε ότι η Ελλάδα μπορεί μέχρι το 2015 να υποδέχεται 25 εκατομμύρια τουρίστες το χρόνο, αρκεί να ακολουθήσει την ίδια οργανωμένη στρατηγική προώθησης του ελληνικού τουριστικού προϊόντος.

Πηγή:www.capital.gr

Πάντως εδώ στην Γερμανία δεν έχω δει ίχνος της οργανωμένης προώθησης του ελληνικού τουριστικού προϊόντος. Ούτε στην τηλεόραση ούτε σε αφίσες. Από την άλλη η Ισπανία δεν έχει αφήσει τοίχο δίχως αφίσα φέτος.

Αυτή η πρόβλεψη για αύξηση του τουρισμού πάνω σε τι βασίζεται; Σε διαφημηστικές καμπάνιες, στην προώθηση των Ελληνικών προορισμών στο εξωτερικό, στην καλυτέρευση της εικόνας της Ελλάδας, κλπ;

Ή απλά θεωρούμε ότι "έχει ο Θεός" και προβλέπουμε αυξήσεις στον τουρισμό τη στιγμή που δεν ξέρουμε τι θα μας ξημερώσει αύριο;

^^ Φαίνεται πως υπάρχει αυξανόμενη ζήτηση από εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας για ντόκους στην Ελλάδα, και ιδιαίτερα για κόμβους στην Ελλάδα νομίζω, και γι αυτό έχει γίνει μεγάλο θέμα η άρση καμποτάζ.

Για διαφημηστικές καμπάνιες σε Βόρεια και Ανατολική Ευρώπη δεν ξέρω προσωπικά (ζω ΗΠΑ, και το "τρίτου μου κράτος" είναι η Γαλλία..μεσογειακή χώρα και αυτή), αλλά νομίζω οτι η πρόβλεψη για αύξηση ρώσων τουριστών βασίζεται στην απότομη αύξηση ρώσων τουριστών το 2011, την οικονομική άνοδο της Ρωσίας (σε αντίθεση με την υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη), και την διευκόλυνση στην απόκτηση ελληνικής βίζας για ρώσους τουρίστες.

Επίσης, φαίνεται οτι οι αεροπορικές εταιρείες χαμηλού κόστους θα διατηρήσουν πολλές πτήσεις προς Ελλάδα, συνεπώς η προσμονή να μην μειωθεί ο τουρισμός από τις παραδοσιακές αγορές (Γερμανία, Βρετανία, Ολλανδία, Σουηδία, Αυστρία).

Κρίμα όμως που δεν έχεις παρατηρήσει διαφημίσεις στην Γερμανία. Ακόμα και αν αυξήθηκε η άφιξη γερμανών τουριστών το 2011, χρειάζεται μία διαφημηστική καμπάνια για την διατηρήση γερμανών πελατών (και άλλων βορειοευρωπαίων) αντιμετωπίζοντας την ανταγωνιστικότητα με την Βόρεια Αφρική που μας προειδοποιεί το δεύτερο άρθρο. (Και μην ξεχνάμε οτι χρειαζόμαστε να διατηρήσουμε και τους νότιοευρωπαίους πελάτες...παραδοσιακά έρχονται πολλοί ιταλοί και πρόσφατα πολλοί γάλλοι στην Ελλάδα).

Επειδή η Ελλάδα δεν μπορεί να ανταγωνιστεί την φθήνια της Βόρειας Αφρικής και της Τουρκίας, το σημαντικότερο θέμα για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό τα ερχόμενα 3-5 χρόνια για να είναι η Ελλάδα ανταγωνιστική είναι -κατά την γνώμη μου- οι υποδομές, υποδομές, υποδομές: λιμάνια, αυτοκινητόδρομοι, σιδηρόδρομοι, αεροδρόμια (και ίσως αποκρατικοποιήσεις αεροδρομίων), και οι αστικές συγκοινωνίες όχι μόνο στην Αθήνα και τη Θεσσαλονίκη...αλλά και στην Πάτρα, στην Κέρκυρα, στην Κω, στο Ηράκλειο, στα Χανιά, στη Ρόδο, κτλ...όσο πιο εύκολο είναι να κινείται ο τουρίστας μέσα στην Ελλάδα...και τα υπόλοιπα (επενδύσεις ιδιωτικού τομέα για νέα ξενοδοχεία, κτλ) ακολουθούν.

Γιατι ο τουρίστας σήμερα είναι πανέξυπνος και πολύ ταξιδεμένος, και δεν θέλει να τον γυρίζουν μέσα στα πούλμαν και να του είναι όλα κανονισμένα, και να έρχονται ηθοποιοί στο ξενοδοχείο του το βράδυ να του παρουσιάζουν "παραδοσιακούς χωρούς" για νυχτερινή ζωή. Θέλει να κινείται μόνος του, να εξερευνεί μόνος του, να ανακατεύεται μόνος του με τους ντόπιους, να μένει σε ωραία ξενοδοχεία, να κάνει τις βόλτες του, κτλ.

Και η Ελλάδα ως ευρωπαϊκή χώρα, όπου μπορούν οι γυναίκες τουρίστριες να κυκλοφορούν ελεύθερα -κάτι που θα είναι δύσκολο σε πολλές περιοχές της Βόρειας Αφρικής- και ως χώρα με υπέροχη νυχτερινή ζωή για όλες τις ηλικίες (πάλι, κάτι που θα είναι δύσκολο στις συντηρητικές μουσουλμανικές χώρες της Βόρειας Αφρικής), και ως χώρα με χαμηλή εγκληματικότητα, και με πόλεις/πλατείες/παραλίες που αναβαθμίζονται την τελευταία δεκαετία...η Ελλάδα μπορεί να ανταγωνιστεί τις χώρες της Βόρειας Αφρικής πολύ εύκολα με λίγη επένδυση στις υποδομές, με υπόδειγμα την Ισπανία.

Σήμερα βρήκα αυτό το σκετικό άρθρο:

Κρουαζιέρα: άρση των αντικινήτρων ζητούν οι ξένες εταιρείες για την ανάπτυξή τους στην Ελλάδα (http://www.ypodomes.com/show_newsid.php?news_id=10570)
ypodomes.com διά μέσου kathimerini.com

Ο ΥΠΑΑΝ, Μ. Χρυσοχοΐδης, και η συνοδεία του περιηγήθηκαν στους χώρους του κρουαζιερόπλοιου από τον καπετάνιο Giuseppe Maresca.

Η MSC Cruises, κρουαζιερόπλοιο της οποίας έκανε «ποδαρικό» στο νέο έτος στο λιμάνι του Πειραιά, σε σχετική ανακοίνωσή της αφού υπογραμμίζει ότι «προσπαθεί πάντα με πάθος να προσελκύσει τους επιβάτες της στα θαύματα της Ελλάδας», ζητεί από τις ελληνικές αρχές «να παρέχουν πιο αποτελεσματική υποστήριξη στα ελληνικά ύδατα και λιμάνια», για τις εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας και να άρουν συγκεκριμένα αντικίνητρα.

Η ελληνική πολιτεία δυο χρόνια τώρα συζητά για την άρση του καμποτάζ, ωστόσο τα ληφθέντα μέτρα αποδείχθηκαν ανεπαρκή. Επειτα από παλινωδίες και αναβολές έρχεται για μία ακόμη φορά διά του υπουργού Ανάπτυξης, Ανταγωνιστικότητας και Ναυτιλίας, Μιχάλη Χρυσοχοΐδη, να προωθήσει την πλήρη άρση του καμποτάζ προσδοκώντας όπως δήλωσε ο ίδιος «να καταστήσουμε τη χώρα μας ακόμη πιο ελκυστική στην κρουαζιέρα».

Την ίδια στιγμή στη γειτονιά μας άλλες πόλεις όπως π.χ. η Κωνσταντινούπολη, εργάζονται με συνέπεια στην κατεύθυνση να αναδείξουν τα λιμάνια τους ως «βάσεις» για τα διεθνή κρουαζιερόπλοια, τα οποία στη συνέχεια θα επισκέπτονται με χιλιάδες τουρίστες κυρίως τα ελληνικά νησιά του Αιγαίου Πελάγους! Σημειώνεται ότι Σαντορίνη και Μύκονος είναι οι πρώτοι προορισμοί όλων σχεδόν των κρουαζιερόπλοιων στην ανατολική Μεσόγειο.

Στη χώρα μας όμως, όπως προκύπτει από την ανακοίνωση της MSC, τα αντικίνητρα που αντιμετωπίζουν οι εταιρείες είναι πολλά.

Ειδικότερα η εταιρεία, αφού σημειώνει ότι είναι σε συζητήσεις με τις ελληνικές Αρχές σχετικά με τη νομοθεσία του cabotage που θα επιτρέψει στις γραμμές κρουαζιέρας να αναβαθμίσουν τις επενδύσεις τους στην Ελλάδα, εκφράζει τις ανησυχίες της για τα λιμενικά τέλη και τις χρεώσεις που εφαρμόζονται από τα ελληνικά λιμάνια, τα οποία τα καθιστούν μη ανταγωνιστικά με «αποτέλεσμα να αποτρέπουν τις εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας και τους επιβάτες τους».

Επίσης το «berth allocation» (σύστημα προκαθορισμένης ημερομηνίας και ώρας εξυπηρέτησης) εξακολουθεί να αποτελεί πρόβλημα, καθώς «το χρονικό περιθώριο των έξι μηνών για τα ελληνικά λιμάνια είναι πολύ μικρό, όταν οι εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας κάνουν τον προγραμματισμό τους ακόμη και ενάμιση χρόνο νωρίτερα».

Επιπλέον, σύμφωνα με τη MSC, τα μέτρα ασφάλειας και προστασίας για τα κρουαζιερόπλοια πρέπει να βελτιωθούν κατά τα διεθνή πρότυπα.