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Greece's latest tourism industry news by Greek Travel Pages

Yiannis Evangelou

We live in a world where everything quickly changes on the world tourism stage with new tourism products, new consumer trends and increased international competition. Recent problems confronted by the tourism industry forced all, but particularly airlines and travel agents, to...

HATTA Wins Ruling on Commission Fees

Greece's Competition Commission fined Greece's two biggest airlines, Olympic and Aegean, a total of 210,000 euros for complicity in reducing the commission paid to travel agents, from 9.25 percent to 6.94 percent, on tickets for domestic flights.

World Celebrates World Tourism Day

As we hit the presses World Tourism Day celebrations get underway all over the world. Here in Athens, on September 27, the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourism Agents and the Hellenic Association of Tourism and Marine Employees, with the support of the Hellenic Tourism...

Worst Tourism Season in 30 Years

Greece's tourism enterprises haven't felt such negative pressure in 30 years, says the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourism Agents. "The negative economic effects experienced thus far have reached dangerous proportions for the future of tourism enterprises," says the...

Charter for Athens Convention, Exhibitions and Visitors Bureau Signed

After two years of efforts, four of the country's major tourism organizations got together last month to sign the founding charter of the Athens Convention, Exhibitions and Visitors Bureau (Athens CVB). The founding member organizations included the Hellenic Association of Travel...

S.E. European Tourism Ministers Agree to Unite

Tourism ministers from Southeastern Europe met in Athens recently under the initiative of Greece's development minister, Akis Tsohatzopoulos, to sign a tourism cooperation agreement. This followed close on the heels of an agreement signed during the Panorama tourism exhibition by...

Tourism Sector Hopes For Last-minute Bookings

The tourism sector had best hope for a barrage of last-minute bookings if Greece's consumers' federation is correct in its forecasts. Four out of every 10 Greeks will not take summer holidays this year, mainly to save money, while most of those who do go away will stay in their...

Balkan Federation Agreement Signed

The Federation of Travel and Tourism Agencies Association in the Balkan Region is now a reality. During last month's Tourism Panorama the final signatures from seven presidents of 10 Balkan country travel agency associations entered the cooperation agreement.

Holidaymakers Flock to Panorama 2003 Tourism Fair

In the midst of yet another international crisis, and a slow economy, Greeks took full advantage of this year's Panorama tourism fair, the eighth, in hopes of finding some special deals and domestic holiday possibilities this year. Exhibitors said they were truly surprised at the...

HATTA Behind Creation of Balkan Travel Agency Associations’ Federation

With little help but with a lot of work, Yiannis Evangelou, president of the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourism Agents, managed to draw together all similar associations throughout the Balkans and pose an idea. "Let's cooperate through a pan-Balkan federation of travel...

Greece Must Create New Tourism Products

Greece and its Mediterranean European Union neighbors must create new tourism products in order to survive and flourish as international tourism destinations, said Yiannis Evangelou, president of the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourism Agents during a recent working lunch...

Airlines Double Passenger Compensation

The European Union's transport council recently announced a decision to effectively double the compensation paid to passengers who are unable to be accommodated on the flights on which they are booked.

WATA Delegates First To Know

Delegates to the recent World Association of Travel Agents annual general assembly here in Athens (November 28 to December 1) felt privileged to be the first to hear how 2004 Games' tickets will be distributed.

Athens Convention Bureau Taken Off Back Burner

Many years have passed since the local tourism trade called for the creation of a conference and visitor's bureau for the Athens area. Since then, not a single positive step has been taken, but the idea remains as not only a viable one but also a vital one to implement.

Tourism Crisis Not Critical

European Union travel agencies may be suffering somewhat financially, but for the moment the repercussions from the September terrorism attack are not near as bad as first anticipated, said Carl Axel Rheborg, president of ECTAA, which is the group of national agents and tour...

Travel Trade Calls Emergency Session To Confront Commission Cuts

Greece's travel trade associations got together last month ans called emergency general assembly of all travel associations to consider stop selling domestic airline tickets after local carriers cut agency commission down to 6.94% from 9%.

The Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourism Agents

HATTA, the oldest travel association in the world, this month celebrates its 75th anniversary. The association has played a pivotal role in the life of Greece's tourism development throughout its entire history.

Unrestrained Optimism For Greek Tourism

If anything was crystal clear at the last month's Destination Greece conference organized by the British Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, it was that Greece has a fantastic opportunity to develop its tourism sector. All that's needed is the decision.

Yiannis Evangelou

This year's Philoxenia is being called upon to act as the institution through which Greek tourism will show its strength and endurance in confronting unfortunate circumstances, such as the ones we have been living through these past days.

World Tourism Day Celebrated

Tourism professionals again this year paid little heed to World Tourism Day celebrated last month on September 27. The exception, once more, was the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourism Agents (HATTA), which held a reception at the Benaki Museum to honor the event.