GREEK TRAVEL BUSINESS NEWS

Issue 19
01/03/2012

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Pavlos Yeroulanos @ London

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Pavlos Yeroulanos, visited London on Ash Monday in order to give a series of interviews to the largest TV and radio networks of Great Britain (BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, ITV, Reuters, CNN) in response to the criticism that our country receives lately on the state of the economy.

At the same time the Minister, Mr. Pavlos Yeroulanos, assured the British people that Greece is absolutely a safe country and urged them to visit our country in the near future noting that due to due to falling prices and taxes (Vat reduction in half for tourist accommodation, zero fees and subsistence of aircraft landing at State airports), Greece is highly competitive despite the crisis. Further he pointed out that that the major challenges for Greece is the growth of its competitiveness and of attracting investments.

For more information please visit:

G.N.T.O @ Β.Ι.Τ 2012, Milan

G.N.T.O participated in the international tourism fair B.I.T., which was held in Milan from 16 to 19 February. The high volume of professionals and public visitors, at the G.N.T.O. pavillion and the very positive reception of the Greek participation highlighted the dynamics of the Italian market for Greek tourism.

The G.N.T.O office in Italy with the support of the General Consul of Greece in Italy, Mr. Georgios Papadopoulos successfully organized a series of targeted parallel events aiming to strengthen business relations between the co-exhibitors and players of the tourism industry in Italy.

The parallel events started before the exhibition in order to achieve the maximum possible results for the Greek participation. The President of GNTO, Mr. Konstantinos Zikos, gave interviews to television media and in tourist magazines in Italy. In his interview in the newspaper CORRIERE DELLA SERA h emphasized that Greece is a safe country and he invited Italians to continue visit Greece.

He met with Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry of the EU, Mr. Antonio Tajani, and other leaders of countries that participated in the exhibition as well as the major Tour Operators who stressed their intention to continue to support the Greek tourist product.

As part of his visit, Mr. Zikos met with Secretary General of World Tourism Organization, Mr. Taleb Rifai, who confirmed the support to Greece.

For more information please visit (in Greek): G.N.T.O. Press Release 21/02/2012

Greek National Tourism Organization @ 18th International Tourism I.M.T.M

Greek National Tourism Organization participated in the 18th International Tourism Exhibition I.M.T.M held on 14 and 15 February in Tel Aviv Israel. I.M.T.M. is the largest annual exhibition in the Eastern Mediterranean and takes place under the auspices of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. The very positive reception of the Greek participation highlighted the dynamics of the Israeli market for Greek tourism, which reflected estimated growth in incoming tourism in the region of 20-25% for 2012.

As part of the GNTO's participation in the I.M.T.M exhibition, the Secretary General of the G.N.T.O, Mr. George Koletsos, held meetings with representatives of the major Tour Operators (KARCIA Int., OPHIR TOURS, TAYELET TOURS) and airlines (ISRAIR, TAL Aviation ) aiming to achieve a wider cooperation for more effective promotion of Greek tourism product. He also gave a series of interviews to journalists of Channel 2 in Israel's state television, to the HAARETZ newspaper and to Channel 1 of the Israeli radio in Jerusalem, achieving maximum visibility and publicity of the competitive advantages offered by Greece as a tourist destination.

For more information please visit (in Greek): G.N.T.O. Press Release 16/02/2012

Blog.visitgreece.gr on air!

The Visit Greece Blog, with a vision to communicate and promote the creative Greece, invites prominent Greeks in Greece and abroad, world-renowned tourism professionals, renowned travel bloggers and employees of G.N.T.O from Greece and abroad, to share their valuable experiences, illuminating the particular beauties of our country. Encouraging commentary, dialogue and participation, the blog of Visit Greece gives visitors the opportunity to interact through interesting articles, photos or videos, enriching the content of the blog tour while creating the interactivity. Visit now the official blog of Visit Greece in blog.visitgreece.gr, register as guest bloggers and come together to highlight the Greece that we know and love!

Visit: http://blog.visitgreece.gr

Ferie For Alle Exhibition in Denmark

Many Greek tourism professionals took part in the Ferie For Alle 2012 exhibition which took place on 24-26 February in Herning, Denmark, North Events, managed the Greek participation as it operates regularly and strongly over the last three years in the Nordic markets, promoting Greek tourism destinations, tourism professionals, and traditional Greek products. North Events also operates on a permanent basis in Oslo, the Greek Tourism and Trade Center and the first Greek delicatessen shop "Kalimera Hellas".

The international exhibition Ferie For Alle is organized on the eighth week of every year since 1997 with great success. Last year, 67 countries participated, while visited by more than 66,000 visitors and 170 journalists. About 95% of visitors come to see destinations abroad and 73% are interested in tourist destinations and hotels in Southern Europe.

For more information please visit:

Greece an emerging tourist destination to the Baltic countries

Greece's participation at the International Exhibition TOUREST 2012 which was held at the Exhibition Centre of Tallinn, on 17-19 February 2012 was considered successful as the forecasts for the current season (13 May - 21 October) based on bookings, present a growth of 10% from tourists from the Baltic countries.

CNN voted Cine Thissio in Athens one of the best 10 cinemas in the world

Recently CNN run a vote on the best movie theaters around the world and Cine Thissio was voted No1. "From your seat at Cine Thissio you not only get to view the latest blockbuster but also the Acropolis, and the Parthenon that sits on top. The best view is at night".

View the full CCN GO article here: Worlds coolest movie theaters

G.N.T.O and Hellenic Post Office cooperation

The promotion of the country and of the Greek tourism product is the goal of a new collaboration with the Hellenic Post Office (ELTA).
An agreement of cooperation was signed by the president and CEO of ELTA SA, Christos Varsamis and the General Secretary of GNTO, Mr. George Koletsos, aiming to highlight the country and to promote the Greek tourist product.

As announced, this cooperation, undertaken for the first time, aims to increase awareness of the country, through stamps and other collectibles philatelic products that will travel around the world and will help shape the image of tourism in Greece.

7th Athens Animfest

The international animation festival Athens Animfest is held for the seventh year at the Greek Film Archive between March 1-7. The event is organised by the European Animation Center, a non-profit NGO established in 2004, with the aim of bringing younger generations in contact with the world of animated pictures and their multiple uses, as well as to support young artists in this field.

This year the festival includes Greek and international short films, student film competitions, screenings of productions by young film-makers, tributes to Czech and Indian animations, masterclasses and more.

For more information regarding the schedule, please visit:

http://animationcenter.gr/modules/news/