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Greece's latest tourism industry news by Greek Travel Pages

Superfast Ferries Takes Delivery Of Superfast VIII

Attica Enterprises, the holding company for Superfast Ferries accepted delivery of its newest ferry, the Superfast VIII, last month. This is the second of a series of four sister vessels built at Howaldtswerke shipyard in Germany and the fourth delivery from the same yard this year.

Axon Takes Delivery Of Five New Aircraft As It Bids For Olympic Airways

With or without Olympic Airways, Axon Airlines, which has emerged as the frontrunner in a privatization tender for Olympic Airways, intends to grow by leaps and bounds. The two-year-old airline last month took formal delivery of five new aircraft - two Boeing 737-400s and three...

Unique New Cruise Program Out Of Piraeus

As of May 4 next year, Piraeus hosts a new cruise program by Classic International Cruises. The Lisbon-based company, Arcolia Shipping, will run seven-day cruises from here with stops at Ismir, Istanbul, Samothraki, Thessaloniki, Volos, Meteora, Santorini and Mykonos.

Clean Greek Coastline Cost 18.7 Billion Drachmas

Kostas Laliotis, environment and public works minister, announced the completion of a 7-year cleanup program for Greek coastlines that cost some 18.7 billion drachmas.

International Advisor To Apply Greek Hotel Star System

The long awaited star system for Greek hotels may finally get off the ground later this year. The Hellenic Tourism Organization has called for an international advisor to assist in the implementation of hotel categorization through an international star system it has partially...

Galileo Becomes First Global Reservation System Not Owned By An Airline

Galileo International, Inc., a popular global distribution system used by Greek travel agents, recently signed an agreement with Cendant Corporation of the U.S. According to the agreement, Cendant acquires all of the outstanding common stock of Galileo for about $2.9 billion....

Online Mergers Begin In Travel Sector

It looks as if the expected batch of mergers in the online travel sector has begun with the purchase of Expedia by USA Networks Inc. The Internet and TV cable company says it plans to become the world's online travel powerhouse by taking control of the world's second largest...

First Batch Of Promotional Funds Handed Over To EOT

Hellenic Tourism Properties handed over some two billion drachmas to the Hellenic Tourism Organization (EOT) recently as the first payment for the organization's tourism advertising campaigns abroad, which covers the majority of debt owed for same. As well, it's now official:...

Hellenic Tourism Properties Heads For Bourse

Along with the privatization of its casinos, Hellenic Tourism Properties will privatize itself. The first step was taken last month with the sale of convertible privatization bonds, or pre-stock (prometoxa), worth 800 million euros (272.6 billion drachmas), which is about a 25%...

SETE Questions Government’s Tourism Data And Methods

A delegation from the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) met with Prime Minister Costas Simitis last month, at his request, where the tourism professionals expressed their belief that the government has failed to take tourism seriously.

Airline Specialist Takes Over Tourism General Secretariat

Demetris Georgarakis, an electronic engineer with some 20 years experience in the airline sector (Olympic Airways) has been appointed to head the newly created tourism general secretariat, which is directly under the development ministry.

A note by the publisher

There were some very discontent tourists down below the Acropolis last month. Some of these people came from as far away as Japan with their main purpose being to visit this unique part of their universal heritage. But because government, through ineptness or incompetence, has...

New Economy Conference Held While Cruising

While sailing to the islands of Aegina and Hydra, delegates attending a conference on the new economy were told computers will never acquire common sense; therefore, humans will always be useful and necessary. Even in the next century, robots will not attain the intelligence...

Lefkas Inaugurates New Marina

A marina complex worth 9.35 billion drachmas built on the Ionian island of Lefkas began operation last month. The marina, which can berth up to 500 yachts, includes some 72 stremma of property that hosts a marine control tower, shipping club, stores, a hotel and a ship repair unit.

Silver Star Opens Athens Office

Thessaloniki-based Silver Star Holidays opened a branch office in Athens recently. Like the head office, it deals only directly with travel agents with tour packages to Malta, Turkey and Syria. It is also the exclusive representative in Greece for the Corinthia hotel group.

Rodos Palace Completes Elaborate Renovations

Elaborate renovations of Rodos Palace Resort Hotel were successfully completed recently after two years of design and intensive construction work. The project cost owners some 3.5 billion drachmas.

Rodos Golf Course Up For Long-term Lease

Owner of the Afantou Golf course on Rodos, Hellenic Tourism Properties, says it has completed studies for the development of the course and that before the beginning of August it will call for expressions of interest from the international community. It expects to have completed...

Rodian Beach To Begin Third Investment Phase

The Rodian Beach Resort on Rodos, the ex-Rodos Bay, late this fall begins phase three of its renovation and expansion program with new luxury rooms, another large pool, a gym and a health and beauty center. During the first two phases, the Cypriot-based Lanitis group and its...