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A step taken last month by the Greek government opens new possibilities for the country’s Ecotourism sector. Ecotourism, a sub-category of sustainable tourism, is considered the fastest growing market in the tourism industry, according to the World Tourism Organization, with an annual growth rate of 5% worldwide and representing 6% of the world gross domestic product, 11.4% of all consumer spending.

The heads of four local authorities surrounding the huge former Olympic sites near the old Athens international airport, which had been earmarked four years ago to become “Europe’s largest” metropolitan park, last month joined forces to express fear that the much of the Hellenikon area would be left to commercial enterprises to exploit.

Last month, during the 20-odd tourism exhibitions held across Europe, well over a million Europeans were among the first to view the new image of Greece.And at the recent Valantiebeurs fair held in Utrech, Holland, a survey during the same showed that the Dutch not only considered the new image a positive one, but also said they considered Greece a major choice for their vacation.

Luxury travel is an industry in its own right representing 3% of elite travelers worldwide who account for 20% of total annual travel expenditures. This segment of tourism is expanding at an increasing rate and shows no sign of slowing down.

This year’s Beijing International Tourism and Travel Market (BITTM), which takes place in Beijing April 20-23, is proving to be the premiere event of 2005 for world travel brands serious about increasing their market share from China.

The Union of Coastal Shipowners late last month presented the government with a series of demands they feel must be confronted and solved in order for them to invest in new passenger ships.

Louis Cruise Lines announced the purchase of the cruise ship “Seawing” from My Travel Group plc, in response to the surge in demand for cruises from Piraeus.

The Board of Attica Holdings S.A. last month announced the delivery of 7,395 GRT, ice-class 1A, Ro-Ro ferry m/v Nordia, capable of carrying approximately 90 unaccompanied freight units.

Seaworld, a new, innovative aquarium, promoted as the largest and most modern in the Mediterranean, opens on Crete early this year. Four thousand sea creatures, currently being kept in fish traps by the Fish Farming Institute, will be transferred to the 32 tanks that are ready at Heraklion.

The country’s biggest showcase of antiquities, the Athens National Archaeological Museum, currently functioning at under half-capacity pending repairs for earthquake damage, will fully reopen this summer, the government said last month.