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The 18.3-million euro upgrade projects of the port facilities of the Evia prefecture would have a very positive impact on transport, trade and tourism, the secretary general of Central Greece’s prefecture, Pantelis Sklias, said recently.

Greek shipowners have invested more than $2.3 billion for the purchase of 118 ships for the January-August 2009 period and are considered the biggest spenders on ships in the world, according to data released by Allied Shipbroking firm.

The Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works recently announced a tender for the construction and management of a one-billion-euro new airport on Crete in the Kastelli area. The new airport is scheduled to replace the existing Nikos Kazantzakis Airport at Heraklio.

Thessaloniki presents a significant setback in air transport and shipping, according to a research study conducted recently by the Professional Chamber of Thessaloniki.

Athens may not be among the most expensive cities in the world but it is a middle-ranking one, according to the recent study “Prices and Earnings-2009 edition” published by Swiss banking group UBS. The study compared the purchasing power of citizens in 73 cities around the globe.

Drug dealing, public drug use, trafficking, muggings and clashes that involve illegal immigrants have degraded one end of the historic center of Athens-the Omonia Square area-to the extent that local hotel reservations in the area have been affected up to 40 percent, Athenian hoteliers recently told GTP.

Associations that represent professional and private owners of yachts have reacted to the draft law of the Ministry of Economy and Finance that levies new taxes on the yachting industry.

The Greek cruise industry must be liberated from the cabotage law that forbids non-European Union flag cruise ships to use Greek harbors as homeports, according to recently released official figures. The figures are in regards to the number of tourists that arrived in Piraeus by cruise ship for the first five months of the year.

Despite the fears of the global economic crisis it seems that this summer is produced better results than 2008 for Greek shipping or at least for many companies that continue to operate efficiently, said the Ministry of Mercantile Marine, The Aegean and Island Policy.

No advertising campaign, no matter how ambitious it is, can deliver if the visitor does not feel safe and does not like what he sees when he walks around, according to the President of the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA), Argyro Phili.