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The biggest cruise ship in the world, “Freedom of the Seas,” constructed for Royal Caribbean International by Aker Finnyards Turku of Finland is complete and will sail on its first cruise on June 4.

A marine ministry decision to liberalize ferry ticket fares from Piraeus remains on hold.

Museum officials anticipate that the new Acropolis museum will be open to visitors in mid-to-late 2007. The new museum’s 14,000 square-meter exhibition area will allow all the surviving antiquities from the Acropolis to be displayed together for the first time.

Portable multimedia guides are one of the newest trends in the travel industry, and the Ministry of Culture is acting. According to press reports, the Ministry’s Central Archaeological Council approved a pilot program for new media guides last month for 15 archaeological sites and museums, including the Acropolis, Olympia, Delphi, Epidavros and the National Museum.

Government and its consultant firm, Lazard, along with three banks (National, Emboriki, Alpha), published a call for tenders last month in foreign financial papers for the sale of Olympic Airlines’ subsidiary company Galileo Hellas.

Greece, for the first time, bathed in the limelight as the partner country at the 40th global tourism expo ITB held last month in Berlin. Greece hosted the opening event and reception for over 5,000 guests with a rich artistic program that included singers Alkistis Protopsalti and Helena Paparizou.

Minister of Tourism Development, Fani Palli-Petralia, during her opening speech at last month’s conference on congress tourism said that the private sector was accountable for the delay in creating a Metropolitan Congress Center. She explained that over a ten-month period, while she was responsible for the Olympic facilities, she awaited submission of a proposal for the use of the Tae Kwon Do facility as a convention center from congress organizers and other tourism enterprises, but received none.

Tourism is Our Future was the title of a conference organized by the Alpine Center and Kariera SA last month to discuss career opportunities and trends in the hotel industry. Speakers included representatives from leading hotels and the Greek Association for Tourist Enterprises.

Navigator Travel is now representing Silversea Cruises in Greece. Silversea, a luxury cruise company, has a fleet of four six-star ships (with two more under construction) that travel to ports throughout the world. The company’s high quality cruises, explains Aris Zarpaneli of Silversea, are geared for customers seeking unique yet discreet luxury achieved through a high staff to customer ratio, excellent service, facilities and programs, gourmet food and wine. The company’s success in this niche market is evidenced by the 60 percent repeat customer rate it enjoys.

Blue Star Ferries last month reported after tax profits of 17.5 million euros for 2005, an increase of 66.4% from the 10.5 million euro profit reported in 2004. Total revenues increased despite a 25.5% decrease in the number of sailings.