Trade Associations

Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos last month expressed optimism in regards to the number of arrivals from Greece’s new target markets: Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Turkey.

“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.

Only a few days after the violent anti-austerity protests that took place 28-29 June at Syntagma Square, central Athens, some 8,000 booking cancelations in 20 of Athens hotels were recorded, Athens-Attica Hoteliers Association President Yiannis Retsos told journalists last month.

While the Greek capital counted losses last month in bookings and revenue due to violent protests at Syntagma Square in late June that resulted to some 20,000 cancelations in 21 central hotels in Athens, tourism traffic for the rest of Greece showed positive signs.

Hellenic Chamber of Hotels President Yiorgos Tsakiris and Greek National Tourism Organization Secretary General Yiorgos Koletsos at the chamber’s presentation of the “Greek Breakfast” project last month.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry will upgrade 169 museums and archaeological sites, the Greek press said last month.
According to the revamp scheme and a time schedule set by the ministry, 20 museums and archaeological sites should be completed by the end of this summer while the remaining 149 will go up to the A1 category over the next three years.

Greece was called on to follow Cyprus’ example and take advantage of the international opportunities wellness tourism offers at a recent workshop held at the Helexpo Palace in Athens.

The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels hosted an open discussion recently and gave tourism professionals the chance to analyze opportunities and challenges posed by low cost carriers in Greece.

The average hotel occupancy in Athens-Attica increased by 4.5 percent in April compared to the same month in 2010 following a negative streak in bookings that lasted several months, the Athens-Attica Hotel Association outlined last month in an announcement.

As of this month until 31 May 2012 the “Tourism for All” discounted vacation program will run, according to a decision signed last month by the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) Secretary General Yiorgos Koletsos.