ABTA Says Greece Not Only “Sea and Sun”

Tour operators have improved holiday offers to Greece and promote a wide variety of packages such as adventure travel, spa, island tours, city breaks and wedding packages to show that there is much more to Greece than just beaches, according to this year’s “2009 Travel Trends Report” of ABTA-The Travel Association.

The report shows that Greece can “show off” more than 3,000 islands, of which only 160 are inhabited and can still promote many elements of the ancient Greek culture with Athens on the top of the list as one of the most interesting cultural cities in the world. In addition, the report mentions that since the 2004 Olympic Games the city’s public transport and infrastructure has been revamped.

Athens’ upgrade has attracted the operation of high-class hotels, famous cafes, restaurants and bars that have all contributed to turn Athens into a modern and lively capital.

Also mentioned was that since Greece ranks among the top EU countries whose beaches have Blue Flags, many tourists visit the country exclusively for vacation on the beach and sea sports.

The study presents the Greek island groups (Cyclades, Ionian Islands and the Dodecanese) but votes Crete as the perfect choice for family vacations as it obtains impressive archaeological sites and trails. The study also refers to Peloponissos as the mountainous peninsula in the southern part of mainland Greece.