General Events & Happenings

There are many captivating mining parks around the world. In Greece there’s the Vagonetto-Fokis Mining Park, just kilometers away from popular sites such as Delphi, Arachova, Itea, Gravia, Amfissa and Galaxidi. This fascinating park has nothing to envy from its global counterparts. Its organization is exceptional, as is its special effects as you tour the mine. And perhaps more important of all, every precaution has been taken to ensure a completely safe underground journey. “This mine is so safe,” said the park’s managing director, Leonidas Vamvakaris, “that it could withstand an atomic bomb.”

World Tourism Day Celebrations

SkyTeam Helps Organize Mexican Festival

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 Organization, will welcome visitors to Zappeio to celebrate the event from midday till late at night.

Greece’s number one private carrier, Aegean Airlines, celebrated its fourth anniversary recently and its 9,000,000th passenger. The airline began scheduled flights at the end of May in 1999 with two aircraft and four Greek destinations. Today, its 17 passenger aircraft executes scheduled flights to 18 Greek and foreign destinations and has charter flights to some 40 destinations.

This year’s 50th anniversary of Acropolis Rally marks the 6th round of the 2003 World Rally Championship and the biggest annual motor sport event in our country.

Some 18 sales representatives from local SkyTeam offices – Air France, Aeromexico, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta and Korean Air – called on 75 travel agencies in Athens and Thessaloniki during a recent short 3-week period. They presented the four new “Around the World Tour” products created by the airline alliance, as well as its newest member, Alitalia.

One of the world’s major global distribution system providers, Worldspan, spent lavishly last month in a successful effort to thank their many clients throughout the country for using their services. Some 200 travel agents arrived for the gala night-out event held at one of the capital’s most up-market hotel complexes.

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.

The official celebration of the twenty-second World Tourism Day will take place in the Islamic Republic of Iran on Thursday, 27 September 2001 with the theme “Tourism A Tool for Peace and Dialogue among Civilizations”.