2017 Year in Review – GTP

Patra, located in the Region of Western Greece, has been honored with the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) 2016/2017 accolade.

The European Council has adopted a regulation amending the Schengen border code in relation to the entry-exit system.

Despite a rise in demand for Athens as a destination, the Greek capital saw a drop in its customer satisfaction scores, according to a GBR Consulting study.

More than 51,000 professional and amateur runners enjoyed perfect weather conditions in the 35th “Athens Marathon. The Authentic” on November 12.

Grigoris Tasios was elected as the president of the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (POX) on Thursday, November 9.

Qatar Airways will launch four weekly flights connecting Doha to the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki as of March 27, 2018.

Greece is getting ready to host two major international tourism events in 2018, Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura announced during the WTM London 2017.

Destinations worldwide welcomed 901 million tourist arrivals during the first eight months of 2017, some 56 million more than in the same period of 2016.

Dolphin Capital has entered into an agreement with Kerzner for the development of a luxury tourism project on Kea in Greece.

It’s a busy year ahead for British travel company Thomas Cook with ambitious plans to expand its presence in Greece with four new hotels.

A ban on all Greece-bound Turkish-flagged boats was lifted, following a meeting between Greek Shipping Minister Panagiotis Kouroublis and Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan.

Travel giant TUI plans to expand its presence in Greece by opening 10 new upscale hotels and adding more visits from its cruise ships to Greek ports.

Air Mediterranean is launching new scheduled direct routes between Athens and seven destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Air China’s much-awaited first direct flight between Athens and Beijing landed at Athens International Airport (AIA) on Saturday, September 30, carrying over 200 passengers.

The Acropolis Museum in Athens is among the top in the world, ranking 8th on the list of the 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards for Museums by TripAdvisor.

The Tourism Ministry introduced a pilot Tourism Satellite Account that aims to achieve a complete picture of Greece’s arrivals and revenue from tourists.

Greece scooped the “Best Video in Europe” award at the UNWTO Tourism Video Competition 2017 with its “Greece – A 365-day Destination” production.

Greece has joined the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for the 2018 – 2021 four-year term.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Astir Palace Vouliagmeni S.A. have announced plans to bring the first Four Seasons hotel to Greece on the Astir Palace peninsula.

Greece ranks 2nd in terms of per capita travel surplus and 5th for per capita international tourist receipts, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.