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“The upgrade and unification of Plato’s Academy is a project that has been delayed greatly… Plato’s Academy is a source of wealth for Athens and it must be promoted as such,” Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos said recently.

The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels last month broadcasted a video/message to Greek citizens to raise awareness of the beneficial effects of tourism on the Greek economy and society.

Some 20 percent of bookings to Greece were canceled for the mid August-October period during the three-week strike of Greek taxi owners and drivers, press reports said last month.
Tourism professionals stressed the taxi strike cost Greek tourism 250,000-300,000 bookings and would prevent potential tourists from visiting the country next year.

Mykonos and Santorini were included among the top tourism destinations in the world last month, according to reader surveys of two major U.S. travel magazines.

“The Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011 delivered multiple benefits to Greece that included some 300,000 overnight stays, thousands of sea and air travel arrivals and increased tourism traffic,” president of the Special Olympics Organizing Committee Athens 2011, Joanna Despotopoulou, said last month.

“Cruise tourism is a key to the government’s overall policy,” Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos said during his opening speech at the first Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum held at the Onassis Cultural Center in Athens on 21-22 June.

The tourism image of Laganas, Zakynthos, and the resort’s notorious reputation was questioned last month after a 19-year-old British tourist was stabbed to death and four other holidaymakers injured following a brawl with a local taxi driver.

Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos last month appealed to Greek taxi drivers to not hit tourism during their mobilizations, as “such protests do not help the country and do not help tourism.”

“This park will become a new destination in the city,” renowned architect Renzo Piano said while presenting the final architectural plans for the development of the Faliro Delta in late June to the Greek media. The plans were funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

“Greece is a country that offers an excellent tourism product and this should not be tarnished in any way,” Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos said in a statement recently in regards to the impact violent events in Athens had left on tourism during the 28-29 June protests.