connect with us
Greece's latest tourism industry news by Greek Travel Pages

Arachova Welcomes The Tagli Resort And Spa

Crisp and clean mountain air, nature and snowy landscapes form the backdrop of the first hotel in Livadi, Arachova: the Tagli Resort and Spa.

Greek Beaches Stripped Of Blue Flags

Nine Greek coasts, winners of the ‘Blue Flags’ international program for environmental education, information and awareness were dropped last month from the 2010 list and lost their award.

Culture Program Planned For Thessaloniki

A special program to begin in Thessaloniki whereby each year a different country or region would be in the center of attention in regards to tourism and cultural issues was presented last month by Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos.

Dept Hanging Over Olympic Airlines Reduced

Olympic Airlines SA will not have to repay an amount of illegal state aid back to Greek state coffers as a European Commission’s decision was overturned last month by the European Union’s General Court.

Ryanair Announces New Route

The Culture and Tourism Ministry announced last month that it aims to encourage airlines to add routes to Greek destinations or enhance existing flights to Greece from many destinations especially in Europe.

U.S. Authorities Demand ESTA For Travel

Passengers from a country included in the U.S. visa waiver program must first request and be granted ESTA authorization (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before traveling to the United States, according to airline carrier Air France.

Rodos To Boost Health Tourism

The Organization for Rhodian Tourism Promotion (PROTOUR) recently announced it would follow the example of international destinations and attempt to develop health tourism on the island and form a lucrative new source of revenue for Rodos.

ACB Requests GNTO Support

“Athens has managed to be included among the top 20 conference destinations of the world but, from this point on, the Greek capital needs substantial assistance and significant support from the central government,” Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis told GTP last month.

“Greek Tourism Week” At Shanghai Expo

“We aim to increase the number of Chinese visitors to Greece in the coming years and for this purpose actions have already been made to simplify the process for Chinese citizens to obtain a visa to travel to Greece,” Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos said while...

Travel Agency Staff To Benefit From OAED Subsidy Program

The Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) assured the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises (GEPOET) that travel agency and tour bus staff would be included as of 2011 in its subsidy program of insurance contributions.

SETE: 9th Tourism & Development Conference

The challenge of adding tourism to the Greek government’s development priorities will be analyzed at the ninth annual tourism and development conference of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) scheduled for 18-19 October.

Israeli Tourists Opt For Greece, Snub Turkey

Greece has tourism parameters that Turkey cannot compete with, Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos told the Israeli press last month during an official visit to Tel Aviv, Israel, aimed at attracting Israeli tourists to Greece.

Cabotage Abolition Law Becomes A Reality

On 25 August the draft bill for the lifting of cabotage restrictions, drawn up by the Economy, Competitiveness and Shipping Ministry, was signed into law. Non-European Union-flag cruise ships would now be permitted to homeport in Greece, under certain conditions.

Greece To Compensate Stranded Tourists

The draft bill for the compensation of tourists stranded in Greece due to extraordinary events such as strikes or natural disasters was tabled in Parliament on 24 August.

HATTA Voices Concern For Coastal Shipping

The Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) appealed to the Greek government and relevant agencies last month to guarantee conditions for the rational operation of coastal shipping.

Gov’t Reshuffle Reinstalls Shipping Ministry

Nearly a year after PASOK socialist party came into power Prime Minister George Papandreou reshuffled his government to speed up the economic revival of Greece, which had been on the verge of bankruptcy, government spokesman Yiorgos Petalotis said last month.

Athens’ Hotels Not Suitable For Special Olympic Athletes

The exclusion of Athens city center hotels from suggested athlete accommodation would be a tombstone for Athens tourism, the Athens-Attica Hoteliers Association stressed last month in a letter to Joanna Despotopoulou, president of the Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens...

Greece Lags Behind In Competitiveness

Greece dropped 12 places in the Global Competi­ti­veness Report 2010-2011, released by the World Economic Forum last month, as it slid from 71st place to 83rd in the global ranking of 139 countries.

Hoteliers Upset With TripAdvisor Website

Occasional hotel reviews on the TripAdvisor website with unfavorable comments that do not correspond to reality have caused problems for Greek hoteliers, according to the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.

Athens Hotels Experience A Cruel Summer

Tourism revenue in the Greek capital during August decreased by 14 percent following a 15 percent drop in July, Athens-Attica Hoteliers Association President Yiannis Retsos recently told Greek journalists.
12