Hellas:from Tourism to World Heritage

“Kalimera”…It’s a Way of Life

“Kalimera”…the Greek word for ‘good morning’ is the new slogan for the advertising campaign of the Greek National Tourism Organization and Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The 2010 campaign was unveiled by the Deputy Minister of Tourism Angela Gerekou on March 8, and is based on a redesigned pattern of previous campaigns with the addition of the well-known greeting in the Greek language.
The campaign will be available through the renewed portal of Hellenic Tourism Organisation at the web address www.visitgreece.gr.
Kathimerini Daily: ‘Kalimera’ is the country’s new tourism motto    

A Popular Tourist Destination

Greece is the fourth most popular tourist destination in the European Union for 2010, according to a new Eurobarometer survey on “The attitudes of Europeans towards tourism.”
The EU Eurobarometer poll unveiled on March 8 shows that tourism is one of Europe’s most important service industries, accounting for 5% of Europe’s GDP and 6% of employment. Greece is the fourth most attractive tourist destination, after Spain, Italy, and France. 
European Commission: Tourism-Upbeat Prospects for 2010 Season  

“Med Diet” to Be Recognised by UNESCO 

The town of Koroni in Messinia Prefecture will represent Greece in an initiative put forth by four Mediterranean countries to have the “Mediterranean Diet” recognised by UNESCO as a cultural heritage of humanity. 
Koroni from Greece, Cilento from Italy, Soria from Spain and Chefchaouen from Morocco will join forces to ask the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to include the diet to its World Heritage List.
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

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Mediterranean Diet Against Depression

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  Individuals who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern -rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish- appear less likely to develop depression, according to a report in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, under the title “Association of the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern With the Incidence of Depression.” Spanish researchers studied 11,000 people and found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had a more than 30% reduction in the risk of depression than those whose diet had few of the crucial Mediterranean elements.  According to the research, the lifetime prevalence of mental disorders has been found to be lower in Mediterranean than Northern European countries.  One plausible explanation is that the diet commonly followed in the region – and especially the use of olive oil- may be protective against depression.  BBC News: Med-style diet battles ‘blues’

Olive Oil: Good Taste, Long Life

 (GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Greek olive oil received complimentary reviews at the International Conference on excellence in olive oil (“Beyond Extra Virgin” , June 21-23) sponsored by the Culinary Institute of America, together with the University of California at Davis.   The event – the largest conference on olive-oil excellence ever held in North America – explored the best production practices, sensory qualities, and culinary possibilities for the olive oil.  The olive oil industry was represented by the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board and its “Kerasma” project, which selected varieties from the island of Crete and the Peloponnese for this occasion.  Within the framework of the conference, a special event titled “Olive Oil and the Healthy Greek Kitchen” was organised especially for the presentation of case studies associating Greek culinary insight with wellness.  Kerasma: Olive & Olive Oil; Greek News Agenda: Mediterranean Diet- Panel Discussion in New York & Academic Research on Nutrition; Greek Mediterranean Gastronomy: Greek Olives: A Culinary Continuum

• Greek monastic food gets cookbook treatment

(The Salt Lake Tribune/AP, 15.08.08) A cookbook written by Father Epifanios Milopotaminos, the cook on the secluded Mount Athos sanctuary gives us a rare glimpse into life in this community of some 1,500 monks in 20 monasteries that strictly limits outside access, including barring women. Published in April, ”Cooking on Mount Athos” (so far available only in Greek) offers 126 unpretentious, tasty recipes. ”It’s a clean diet that people once ate across the eastern Mediterranean. It’s the same way meals were prepared 100 years ago, or 50 years ago,” Epifanios says. FOR MORE LOOK AT: http://www.sltrib.com/faith/ci_10218542

Foolproof Anti-cancer Diet in Greece

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  In order to avoid cancer, one must live like a monk. That is the inescapable conclusion from research into one of the world’s most renowned monastic communities. The austere regime of the 1,500 monks on Mount Athos, in northern Greece, begins with an hour’s pre-dawn prayers and is designed to protect their souls. Their low-stress existence and simple diet (no meat, occasional fish, home-grown vegetables and fruit) may, however, also protect them from more worldly troubles.  

Greek Gastronomy

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  3rd Sani Gourmet: From May 17 to 25, Michelin stars’ awarded chefs meet at the Sani Resort in Halkidiki, Macedonia. Next to them, chefs of Greek cuisine introduce guests to the Mediterranean diet. This year’s focus is on fresh and organic ingredients, made by small producers of Halkidiki and the broader region of Macedonia.