General Events & Happenings

SkyTeam, the global airline alliance founded by Aeromexico, Air France, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air, as well as its newest member, CSA Czech Airlines, held a major bash at the Astir Place last month to inform the Greek travel trade on the many customer benefits available through the alliance.

After promises by government quarters to hold off on any new hotels other than those already approved or being approved (4,500 rooms), the Athens Hoteliers Association agreed to book another 10% of available rooms in luxury hotel units for officials of the 2004 Olympic Games. That leaves another 10% yet to be covered in order to host the Olympic family.

Ninety of the best senior golf professionals in the world (three are Greek) arrived in Athens last month to play a tournament that hands out some 70 million drachmas to winners. The tournament will be televised over 20 television stations around the world and be seen by some 140 million households.

World Tourism Day, September 27, concentrates on the two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the twenty-first century, technology and nature. The creator of the annual event, the World Tourism Organization, says “as we enter the twenty-first century, the world will be increasingly characterized by the penetration of technology in all aspects of our life. In this respect, tourism is inevitably becoming an essential user of the main innovative technologies.”

The fastest cruise ship of its class is the world and the first newbuild of Royal Olympic Cruises sailed into Piraeus harbor last month exactly as planned, and was officially launched by Hellenic Republic President Costis Stephanopoulos.

Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis promises to have the complete Athens Festival program for 2001 ready, complete with with confirmed dates and times, by the fall. The minister says this very up-marker Greek cultural program could be very effective for enticing visitors, but travelers must know dates of events well in advance in order to program their trips accordingly. He also believes Greece could cooperate with other EU countries to create cultural tourism packages.

A new “wonder” and millennium monument will be built on Rodos harbour by 2004, according to the island’s mayor, Giorgos Yiannopoulos. The monument will draw inspiration from the “Kolossos” statue, one of the Seven Wonders of the World that was allegedly ruined some 2,220 years ago.

Spain paid tribute to Greece and the Hellenic Tourism Organization during a recent ceremony held in conjunction with Madrid’s travel and tourism fair, Fitur. Guest of honour was the organization’s president, Yiannis Stefanides.