Destinations

The British Embassy in Athens recently stressed that the majority of British tourists to Greece “do not face or create any problems.” This comment was made with reference to the recent essay published by the British foreign office titled “know before you go” of which sections were also published in the Greek press.

The decision to provide the island of Kefallonia with an additional 40,000 euros for its advertisement campaign came from Tourism Development Minister Fanni-Palli Petralia recently in response to the recent fires on the island.

Thassos Island has shown a considerable increase in interest for foreign investment recently according to Mayor of Thassos Lefteris Meresis, who also claimed that tourism in general has seen an increase since the start of the summer and there has been much interest for foreign investment, particularly from Bulgarians.

Chios island has established its agritourism festivities as an annual institution. The agritourism festival that took place last month in the municipal gardens, under the auspices of the municipality of Chios and the tourism sector of southeast Chios, aimed for the promotion of local produce, traditions and culture.

People around the world recently voted the new Seven Wonders of the World being the Great Wall of China, India’s Taj Mahal, the centuries-old ruins of Petra in Jordan, Petra’s Machu Picchu, Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, Mexico’s Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza and the Colosseum of Rome, but the Acropolis did not make it in the final seven.

The annual publication of the International Congress and Convention Association recently found Thessaloniki amongst the top one hundred conference destination cities for the third year in a row.

Greece earned one of the last places amongst the 12 most important European destinations in a recent poll conducted by the German tourism magazine Touristik Report, of which the judges were 34 of the most powerful people in the European tourism trade. Amongst the judges were major tour operators, tourism agents and significant representatives of the tourism trade.

The Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies recently raised concerns over the continued strikes of employees at archeological sites in Athens. It fears the strikes create a negative image of Greece and will have severe repercussions if the strikes continue during the summer peak season.

The Development Company of the Cyclades conducted a two-year study to identify the characteristics of tourism within the Cyclades. The specific case study centered on Santorini. Some 4,250 people participated in the research that took place in 2005/2006 and covered the months of April to October.

Tourism benefits for Athens following the Champions League Final last month are promising. Already, according to Washington-based KRC Research, Athens has benefited a total of 26 million euros from hosting the event.