Greece: 4th preferred destination in 2012

Greece is the 4th most popular holiday destination for European tourists in 2012, according to a Flash Eurobarometer report on the Attitudes of Europeans towards Tourism released on March 5. 

Providing interesting insights into the preferences of European travellers, the Eurobarometer survey reveals that 4% of European tourists are planning to spend their holidays in Greece in 2012, compared to 10% in Spain, 7% in Italy and 6% in France.
Moreover, Greece was the 6th most visited country in 2011. The survey also reveals that the majority of EU-residents are confident travellers, who prefer arranging their holidays by themselves, although they still rely on recommendations from family and friends about where to go. For this Eurobarometer survey, over 30,000 randomly selected citizens were interviewed in January 2012 in the 27 EU Member States as well as in Norway, Iceland, Croatia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Israel.
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

Advertisement

Greece: Attracting Tourism Development

Greece ranked 29th among a total of 139 countries in a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum (WEF) regarding competitiveness for the tourism sector.
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report is issued annually and grades countries on a total of 60 indicators, including policy regulations, resources, safety, prices and environmental protection. According to the survey, Greece benefits from its rich cultural resources (ranked 25th), excellent health and hygiene (20th), and a top-notch tourism infrastructure (5th). Further on, the report refers to the country’s strong national affinity for tourism (compared with many other European countries), including a generally open and positive attitude toward tourists (26th). The report ranks Greece 21st among European countries.
World Economic Forum: 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

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)

Greece`s Ottoman Past

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Approximately six hundred relics of the Ottoman period were found in Greece, according to a research study, conducted by the Istanbul-based Marmara University Professor Neval Konouk, during the last 2,5 years, commissioned by the Turkish ministry for Foreign Affairs, in 2007. 

According to Dr. Konouk’s comments to the Turkish daily Aksam on February 8, the complete survey will take the form of eight volumes, when completed in 2015, and the texts will be in Turkish, English and Greek.  
According to her research, much more Ottoman relics have been preserved, than originally considered.
As Dr. Konouk noted, “a tenth of the Ottoman relics located in Greece, representing 600 cases in total, have been saved.”  
In a relative development, the Greek Ministry of Culture has published in Greek and English, a 494 – pages special volume, titled “Ottoman Architecture in Greece.”
Institute for Neohellenic Research: Ottoman Epigraphy; Foundation of the Hellenic World: Ottoman Period

Greek Tourism: A Mid Summer Night’s Dream

9 out of 10 Would Visit Greece Again

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Food and entertainment are the highlights of Greek tourism, while price levels seem to be the most disturbing feature according to a survey conducted by Ammon Ovis SA, on a sample of 332 tourists from all continents who have spent an average of 12 days in Greece.  Four out of ten respondents in the survey were visiting Greece for the first time, while six out of ten had planned their vacation through services provided on-line. 84% stayed at some hotel while 63% had at some point viewed an advertisement on Greece before coming to the country.   Americans, Australians and Germans appear to be the most satisfied with Greece as tourist destination, while Scandinavians and French appear to be the least pleased. Eight out of ten wish to visit Greece again and nine out of ten would recommend it as a tourist destination.  The tourists surveyed were asked to evaluate the services provided with ten being the highest grade. Food was graded 8.7, entertainment 8.3, while facilities scored 7.9, cleanness 7.7, public transport 7.6 and prices 7.  Commenting on the survey, Tourism Minister Kostas Markopoulos stressed the importance of the results related to tourists’ satisfaction. “The survey’s highlight is that tourists would be willing to visit Greece again and would recommend it to others”, he said.   Visit Greece: www.gnto.gr & Hellenic Tourism Organisation: Statistics & Studies

Luxury Tourism: A Masterpiece ‘Some’ Can Afford

According to a report drafted by Xenia SA, a leading private company, hosting international exhibitions and conferences on tourism, luxury tourism is considered globally the highest developing sector in the tourism industry, having the competitive advantage of being the least affected by the global financial turmoil.  In 2006, luxury tourism accounted for only 3% of global tourist arrivals (25 million) and 25% of the global tourist revenue ($180 billion). Most of the luxury tourism facilities can be found in the United States, in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Ocean.  In the case of Greece, luxury tourism facilities are offered in tourist destinations such as Elounda on Crete island, Mykonos, Santorini, Athens and, lately on Rhodes island.  Xenia SA: Luxury Tourism: World Trends – The Prospects Of Greece  Hellenic Tourism Research Institute: www.itep.gr  Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises: www.sete.gr & Links on Hellenic Tourism Bodies and Agencies