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Greece's latest tourism industry news by Greek Travel Pages

Measures To Boost Tourism Announced, Minister

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni attended the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers’ board meeting on Tuesday 11 September and announced a series of measures for Greek tourism development and ways to attract investments.

Schengen Visas In The Spotlight

All consular authorities of Greece are instructed to extensively use all Schengen visa system facilities to issue visas without delay and with the minimum of formalities, Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Monday 10 September.

Efforts For Athens’ Tourism Promotion Announced

The Tourism Ministry and the City of Athens in early September announced a twofold effort that will address the tourism disincentives of the city center and see to the creation of new infrastructure to attract visitors.

Greece And Germany Team Up On A Local Level

Greek-German cooperation in the fields of tourism and local government were discussed on Wednesday 5 September among Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Germany’s federal deputy labor minister.

VAT Cut For Restaurants Not Possible This Year

“The VAT rate on food catering services will not be reduced this year even though it was it was a commitment of the government,” Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said last month. The VAT cut on food catering services was one of the government’s pre-election promises.

Tourism Minister Targets UK Market

Jointly funded campaigns in the UK media between British tour operators and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) to promote Greek tourism and attract last-minute bookings are underway, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni told the UK media in late July during her first...

Last-Minute Bookings Boost Incoming Tourism To Greece

“Greece is back in business… There is great value for money, holiday prices are competitive and we still offer very good quality,” Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni recently told the foreign media. And it would seem that the tourism minister is right since the picture of Greek...

Tourism Ministry To Focus On Greece’s Troubled Air Transport

The Tourism Ministry will seek cooperation with other ministries to upgrade Greece’s regional airports and increase Athens airport’s competitiveness, according to Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni.

Greece Could Expect Billions From Cruises

“The main reason Greece has failed to collect from cruises is the low use of Greek ports as homeports,” according to a recent study of the National Bank of Greece on cruise on a European and national level.

Greece Is The Word For Hollywood Celebrities

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni will consider adding another form of tourism to the Tourism Ministry’s portfolio, that of cinematic tourism, the Greek press reported last month.

Athens Center In Need Of Protection, Tourism Minister

“The improvement of public safety is a prerequisite for tourism development especially in the historic center of the capital but also more widely throughout Athens,” Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said in late July after a meeting with Public Order and Citizen Protection...

GNTO Announces New Board Of Directors

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni approved and announced the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) new Board of Directors on Thursday 30 August, which is comprised by five lawyers, one political analyst, one doctor, one dentist and one hotelier.

New Tourism Ministry Has Work Cut Out

The re-establishment of the new Tourism Ministry in June was welcomed by the vast majority of Greek tourism professionals who are expecting a series of chronic issues to be solved by the new leadership.

Priorities Set To Boost Tourism Inflow To Greece

The simplification of the procedure for issuing Schengen visas to increase the inflow of tourists to Greece and the protection of the country’s image via crisis management, were two priorities on the agenda of Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni last month.

G20 Commits To Visa Issue, Greece Makes Proposals

“While recognizing the sovereign right of States to control the entry of foreign nationals, we will work towards developing travel facilitation initiatives in support of job creation, quality work, poverty reduction and global growth,” according to the Leaders’ Declaration from...

GNTO’s “Tourism for All” Program Launched

The “Tourism for All” discounted vacation program will run as of this month until 31 May 2013, according to a decision signed last month by Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni aimed to boost the domestic tourism market.

Independent Tourism Ministry Re-Established

Following the parliamentary elections on 17 June that were marked by the creation of a three-party coalition government, new Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras announced the re-establishment of an independent Tourism Ministry.

Bookings To Greece Pick Up Pace After Elections

“The political stability that has resulted from the 17 June elections and the formation of the Government already has influenced recent reservations on a positive level,” Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said while addressing a conference last month.

Greece Eyes Closer Ties With Israel

The concept of Greece is changing from that of a simple destination to that of a country where the visitor can live unique experiences, Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos said last month at the 17th International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Agritourism Gains Ground

Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos said recently that the new agritourism company "Agrotima SA" is the corporate section of the promotion and implementation of the tourism ministry's policies on issues of specific forms of rural tourism and mild recreational activities.