Category: TOURISM

News about tourism in Greece, Egypt and Cyprus

Greece earns third place worldwide in Blue Flag certification

Greece has earned fourth place in Europe with regard to the quality of its bathing waters for this year, according to data published by the European Environment Agency on Tuesday. The report noted that 97.2 percent of areas inspected were deemed to be outstanding.

The organization also announced that the country was positioned third worldwide in terms of Blue Flag certification, with 430 beaches and 9 marinas for 2016.

The agency’s annual report evaluates the quality of the water from last year and highlights areas where this is expected to be maintained in the current year.

Over 1,500 bathing areas, including beaches, lakes and rivers, were inspected last year, out of which 1,499 were defined as top quality spots for swimming, the report said.

(www.ekathimerini.com)

May 31, 2016
Cobalt to fly from June

Larnaca-based low-cost carrier Cobalt is all set to stretch its wings on June 1 starting with flights to Greece and the UK.
Chairman Gregory Diacou said after Cobalt was issued its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) on Wednesday: “Today marks the renaissance of the Cypriot aviation industry”.
He added: “We are proud to play our part in Cyprus’ long aviation heritage.
“The thousands of messages of support that we have received during the recent weeks from Cypriots here and abroad proves that there is tremendous enthusiasm backing Cobalt as the country’s new national carrier.”
The Civil Aviation Authority issued Cobalt’s AOC after successfully completing a test flight from Larnaca to Heraklion carried out with its first Cyprus-registered Airbus A320.
Cobalt is scheduling the launch of operations to Athens on June 1, with flights to the UK and other European destinations starting later on that month.
At the same time, he highlighted the fact that, by the end of June, Cobalt will add another three aircraft to its fleet, raising the total number to four.
The chairman stressed that the company also plans to launch operations to non-European destinations, such as Israel, Lebanon, Russia, Iran and Egypt in the very near future.
“Since the demise of Cyprus Airways, our national air traffic rights to these countries have been lying dormant,” Diacou said.
“These are significant economic assets that we must now utilise in order to support the development of the Cypriot tourist industry and the broader economy.”
Diacou also said that, prior to their first official flight, they have generated more than 100 new jobs locally and that hundreds more will follow.
“Furthermore, we very much appreciate the professionalism of the Cypriot civil aviation authorities in handling the AOC process so effectively and thank them for their support.”

(in-cyprus.com)

May 31, 2016
The Peloponnese in Greece is the best place in Europe to visit in 2016

Travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has released its annual list of the best places to visit in Europe, this year opting for a mix of the usual suspects (Venice, the Dordogne) and a scattering of off-the-beaten track places such as the Dutch island of Texel.

Topping the list is the the Peloponnese, a region often overlooked by travellers to Greece, who tend to visit the islands or build a sightseeing trip around Athen’s iconic Acropolis.

The region is described as “an affordable enclave of magnificent ancient sights like Olympia, Mycenae and Mystra”. The recently opened Menalon trail provides a new way to explore the region, which is popular with hikers.

(www.theguardian.com)

May 24, 2016
Chios named one of the best diving sites in Europe

As the Greek summer approaches, an international distinction gives Chios a well-deserved and much needed boost.

One of the most beautiful islands of the Aegean, Chios was a travel destination for the conoisseurs, attracting high-profile tourists. As the homeland of many shipping magnates, and a place blessed with the mastique trees that have been central for its economy, the island has never relied too much on tourism, which has helped preserve its identity and authentic colours.

But now, a new wave of focused tourist is bound to visit Chios, as it is voted among the top 10 best dive sites in Europe. According to international diving website divein.com, Chios is the best place to scuba dive in Greece, containing “some of the most amazing underwater caves, colourful and large reef formations, vertical walls, beautiful underwater rock formations, and glorious shipwrecks. This place is a great dive site for beginner divers since the water is very visible and the temperatures are moderate, especially during the months of April through October”.

Chios has been at the epicenter of the current refugee crisis, as its close proximity to the Turkish shores have made the island one of the people smugglers preferred destinations. Last years, thousands of refugees arrived to the island and the tourism industry was worried about the effect that this factor would have on the economy. Such distinctions offer a valuable boost to the island’s status as an international destination, amidst an ongoing financial and humanitarian crisis.

(neoskosmos.com)

May 18, 2016
Grow Greek Tourism Online’ initiative supported by Google

Users will have the opportunity to be trained on how they will upgrade their presence on the web

Google announced at a press conference on Wednesday that it supports the initiative “Grow Greek Tourism Online.”

In cooperation with the Economy, Development and Tourism Ministry and the National Greek Tourism Organisation as well as the Greek Tourism Enterprises Association, Google announced the implementation of a free web education platform for tourism.

Through a wide range of topics, the users will have the opportunity to be trained on how they will upgrade their presence on the web. The users will also be able to select an adapted education plan and receive a certificate by GGTO initiative and IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Europe.

All local enterprises, tourism professionals as well as those who want to develop their potential the web offers can be informed in detail for the education programs available in their region via the official website of the initiative -greektourism.withgoogle.com.

(en.protothema.gr)

March 6, 2016
Egypt, Greece sign MoU on tourism coop

Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou and his Greek counterpart Elena Kountoura signed on Monday 22/2/2016 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism cooperation between the two countries.

At a joint press conference following the signing ceremony, the minister asserted that the agreement is an important step and a cornerstone for tourism relations between the two countries.

He also welcomed the Greek tourism minister’s visit that will greatly contribute to enhancing the Greek tourism movement to Egypt.

Zaazou also said that the agreement stipulates cooperation in the tourism exchange, promotion for the Egyptian tourism programs in remote markets such as US and South East Asia as well as cooperation in the religious tourism domain.

The Greek minister, for her part, voiced happiness at visiting Egypt and expressed her admiration of the Egyptian civilization and the warm welcome she has received in Egypt.

She asserted that Egypt will restore its position as a strong tourist destination in the region as soon as possible, citing its varied tourist destinations and great civilization which could attract tourists all along the year.

Kountoura also noted that her country welcomed the measures taken to bolster bilateral relations and beef up existing relations in all domains.

She said the MoU will encourage both countries on exchanging information, campaigning for promotion programs and working jointly for the sake of flourishing their tourism markets in both countries.

The agreement will also ease investment measures for Greek and Egyptian businessmen to carry out joint tourism projects, she added.

The Tourism Promotion Authority has prepared a tourist program for the Greek minister and her accompanying media delegation that will include tours in the main tourist sites in Giza Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum and other tourism locations.

(www.sis.gov.eg)

February 25, 2016
Vote Now! Athens in the Running for the Best European Destination 2016

The European Best Destinations website has nominated Athens, Greece, as one of the 20 candidates in the running for the title of the Best European Destination in 2016.

The voting for this prestigious label, synonymous with European excellence, will take place online between January 20 and February 10. The winner will be the city with the most online votes!

The “Best European Destination 2016” will be authorized to use the title and affix the “European Best Destination” logo on all its communications, adverts, website and photos; it will also have the right to authorize its own public and private partners to use the logo.

According to organizer EBD, the election of the European Best destinations receives substantial coverage right across all the various media in Europe.

In 2015 the best destination in Europe was Bordeaux. Athens came in third place last year.

Cast your vote here!

In its seventh year, the online competition is an event organized by the European Best Destinations (EBD), a European organization based in Brussels and developed to promote culture and tourism in Europe. In partnership with the participating tourism offices and the EDEN Network the organization promotes a better understanding of the wealth, diversity and quality of European destinations and Europe as the number one destination in the world.

Since 2009 EBD has been working with major tourism offices in Europe to reward and highlight the most visited destinations via its website and social networks (+2,5 millions of visitors and thousands of followers on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ Pinterest and 26,000,000 of media coverage).

(www.chaniapost.eu)

January 24, 2016
This is Athens!

Birthplace of philosophy, democracy and drama, the city of Athens is not only an open-air museum of world-class cultural heritage attractions but also a contemporary metropolis with an urban personality. Named after the most benevolent Greek Goddess, Athena, the goddess of wisdom and inspiration, Athens has always been at the cultural fore.

With equal measures of grunge and grace, Athens merges the past with the present in the most slender way! A city of paradoxes and great contrasts, in the country that first invented the courtesy and generosity towards people who are far from their home, hospitality (xenia).

An intellectual beacon of the ancient world with spectacular Mediterranean landscapes bathed in the renowned light, Athens is a sophisticated cosmopolitan hub with delicious gastronomic delights, electrifying nightlife, creative vibes and a booming art scene.

From the iconic Acropolis, rising above the city, to charming up and coming neighborhoods and contemporary art galleries, the city of Classic Marathon and Olympic Games is a majestically quirky clash of past and present.

One of the world’s oldest cities with a recorded history of 3,500 years, the Greek capital is constantly undergoing urban renewals to keep up with the evolution of time. Athens lives up to all the hype!

(www.europeanbestdestinations.com)

January 24, 2016