December 2002

Off to a flying start
It's the start of a new year, and one that will prove crucial for Greece and the tourism sector. Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get right down to work as we count down to the 2004 Olympic Games to be held in Athens.
The signs are auspicious. Despite a difficult year for tourism, the travel industry shows signs that it has begun its rebound from the September 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. and the global economic downturn.
Greece, meantime, has already begun to enjoy the Olympic limelight as trade and consumer magazines are beginning to focus editorial coverage on the country as a prime travel destination. Positive coverage will certainly be boosted by the Greek National Tourism Organization's participation in important travel trade shows at various venues around the world.
Infrastructure projects necessary for the Olympics are about to enter their final phase. The facilities built for the Games will provide a foundation for developing Greece's tourism beyond 2004 as the country's roads, railways, and other amenities are improved and upgraded in Athens as well as in the four Olympic cities - Volos, Patras, Iraklio, and Thessaloniki - that will host the football events.
January 2003 also marks a fresh start in local and regional government as the newly-elected mayors - or re-elected incumbents - take office and seek to forge new programs and alliances. There have also been some important changes in the tourism industry, and Greece's two largest hoteliers' unions have new leaders. Gerasimos Fokas was elected the new president of the Greek Hoteliers' Chamber (ΧΕΕ) and Giorgos Tsakiris is now president of the new board elected by the Union of Athens Hoteliers (ΕΧΑ). Under their leadership, both professional groups can look forward to strengthening their central role in setting tourism policies. Both have already issued a list of priorities for their tenure.
But there are also challenges ahead. Greece has less than 600 days to meet its commitments as host of the 2004 Olympic Games. Services must be improved along with infrastructure. Care must be taken so that attention is paid to both details and the larger picture. Above all, the 2004 Olympic Games should not be seen as the end of a long period of preparation, but rather as the starting point for a new era in Greek tourism that could lead to a boom similar to that of the Fifties and Sixties.

Hellenic Travelling

GREECE ΤΟ HOST TOURISM CONFERENCES
Greece will host two high-level conferences on different aspects of international tourism in 2003 as part of the program of the Greek EU Presidency, Development Minister Akis Tsohadzopoulos announced.
The conferences will be organized by the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ). The first will focus on "Tourism and Transport" and the second on "Tourism and Culture."
Tsohadzopoulos said the Greek presidency's goal would be to promote a European policy on tourism. Noting that the number of visitors to Europe was estimated to drop to 46 per cent by 2020 from 68 per cent in 1979, he said, "The question was whether there was interest for the European Union to defend its position in the global tourism market...Our answer must be [yes]."
Greece assumes the six-month rotating presidency on January 1.

MINISTER: FACILITY UPGRADES Α PRIORITY
Upgrading Greece's tourism infrastructure and services is the government's priority in this sector,Development Minister Akis Tsohadzopoulos told reporters.
Asked to comment on draft legislation on tourism submitted to Parliament by the Development Ministry, Tsohadzopoulos said the "competitiveness of Greek tourism would be judged on quality and variety."
He said that the government's policy was aimed at reinforcing large investments in tourism by allowing the investor to combine the construction of tourist facilities with holiday estates whose homes would be available for sale or rent to Greek and foreign tourists.
"Thus, the investment will be productive, and will also contribute to extending the tourist season as owners or leaseholders of holiday homes will also visit in off-season months," he said.

WATA HOLDS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ΙΝ ATHENS
The World Association of Travel Agents (WATA) held its general assembly in Athens November 27-December 1.
The meeting was opened by Ghassan Saad, WATA president, and was addressed by John Patellis, president of the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ). John Evangelou, president of the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (ΗΑΤΤΑ) also spoke at the opening assembly.
Vassilis Niadas, Games services general manager of the Athens 2004 organizing committee, also addressed the WATA assembly on the preparations for the 2004 Olympics. Niadas's presentation centered on hospitality and ticketing for the world's premier sports event, which Athens will host in less than two years.
Patellis reiterated the need for international cooperation among tour operators to deal with the economic downturn that has affected the tourism industry. He said that the key to meeting the needs of an increasingly demanding market was to streamline travel agency operations through tools such as Β2Β, e-business, and e-commerce.
The workshops held during the WATA general assembly focused on e-commerce strategies and new business perspectives. ΗΑΤΤΑ members were also invited to attend the November 28 sessions in the spirit of fostering closer cooperation between Greek and international travel agents.
WATA was established in 1949 by a group of independent travel agencies in partnership with American Sightseeing International (ASI).

OUTLOOK GOOD FOR 2003
The outlook for tourist arrivals in 2003 is good, with an expected seven per cent increase in visitors from Britain, the Development Ministry said in a statement.
The positive forecast was based on bookings at the end of December 2002 compared to bookings during the same period in 2001. Crete has emerged as the early favourite, with reservations from Britain up 44 per cent over last year. Bookings by British tourists are also up 21 per cent for Kefallonia, 12 per cent for Lefkada, and four per cent for Corfu. But bookings for Rhodes are down.

ATHENS HOTELIERS OUTLINE SECTOR’S PROBLEMS
Delays in developing an advertising campaign for greater Athens, airport fees that are prohibitive for charter flights, a lack of provision for seasonal variations in employment needs in the service sector, and shortcomings in the new development law were the focus of a news conference held in early December by the Union of Athens Hoteliers (ΕΧΑ) to highlight the sector's problems.
ΕΧΑ representatives said hotels in greater Athens were hamstrung by a new labor law that does not provide for seasonal fluctuations in employment in the tourism sector. ΕΧΑ noted the operation of downtown hotels was further hindered by the loading zones near their front entrance for taxis and tour buses. They also called for the development law to be revised to remove disincentives to Β- and C-category hotels to upgrade their facilities.
Another problem concerns the lack of a coordinated promotional campaign highlighting greater Athens as a tourist destination. The ΕΧΑ representatives said they would seek closer cooperation with local authorities in promoting the city and its environs.

ΕΟΤ SET FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL EXPOS
The Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) will participate in more than 90 travel expos in 29 countries next year, including the U.S., Japan, Australia, and China.
In addition to the World Travel Market to be held in London in November 2003, ΕΟΤ will also participate in other leading European venues such as Berlin's ΙΤΒ, Madrid's FITUR, Milan's ΒΙΤ, and Moscow's ΜΙΤΤ. It will also participate in several Scandinavian venues, Israel's ΙΜΤΜ in February, the ΙΑΤΑ Congress and World Travel Fair to be held in Japan, as well as several trade shows in Poland, France, Switzerland, and Belgium.
In Greece, ΕΟΤ will host pavilions at Expro and Xenia in January, Tourism Panorama in March, Philoxenia in late October, and the Poseidonia shipping fair.

SETE ΤΟ HOST TOURISM CONFERENCE ΙΝ FEBRUARY
"Tourism and Development" is the theme of a one-day conference organized by the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) on February 11 at the Astir Palace Hotel in Vouliagmeni.
The conference will focus on the tourism sector's impact on Greece's economic growth and employment. It will also highlight trends in the airline industry and the effects of fluctuations in this sector on tourism.
The conference is the second to be organized by SETE on this topic. Α record number of participants are expected from tourism-related enterprises and the media.

GREECE WINS AWARD ΑΤ CHINA ΕΧΡΟ
The Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) won an award for presentation and functionality for its pavilion at the China International Travel Mart held in Shanghai in mid-November.
More than 5,000 brochures of the ΕΟΤ leaflet "Greece Beyond Words," translated into Chinese, were distributed at the 90 sqm. pavilion during the trade show. Pamphlets highlighting the 2004 Olympic Games and Greece's Cultural Olympiad were also distributed to visitors and other exhibitors.
The CITM 2002 prize was the third award ΕΟΤ received in 2003 for its presentation. The Greek pavilion had also won awards at trade shows in Czech Republic and Russia.

FOKAS NEW HEAD OF GREEK HOTELS CHAMBER
Gerasimos Fokas, chairman of the Electra Group of Hotels, is the new president of the Greek Hoteliers' Chamber (ΧΕΕ). He was elected to serve a three-year term.
Fokas, a respected hotelier, said his goal was to strengthen the chamber's leadership role in the tourism sector by forging alliances with related professional associations in Greece and abroad. He will also work to further establish the chamber's role as a key advisor to the government on tourism policy.
Another priority during his tenure will be improving member-services, including legal and technical advice. Fokas also promised to invest in providing information and training for members to assist in the sector's modernization and growth.

GREECE ΤΟ PROMOTE “PILGRIMAGE” TOURISM
The government plans restoration work totalling 4.6 million euros at five monasteries as part of a pilot program aimed at attracting religious or pilgrimage tourism.
The renovation works include creation of guest quarters at the Panagia Poretsou and Agios Georgios Gremnon monasteries, as well as environmental restoration works at the Agios Simonas Petras Monastery.
Funds for the pilot program were requested by Development Undersecretary Dimitris Georgakopoulos in a letter to Finance Undersecretary Christos Pachtas.
Religious and pilgrimage tourism is part of the Development Ministry's plans to extend the tourist season into the off-season by developing alternative products.

OCTOBER OCCUPANCY RATES UP FOR L. HOTELS
Occupancy rates for luxury class hotels in greater Athens rose by almost 7.5 per cent in October 2002 compared to the same month of the previous year, according to data released by the Union of Athens Hoteliers (ΕΧΑ).
For L-class hotels, occupancy rates in October 2002 were 56.16 per cent compared to 48.75 per cent in October 2001. Occupancy rates for Α-class hotels were 61.83 per cent in October 2002, down from 63.13 per cent in October 2001. For Β-class hotels, occupancy rates were roughly the same - 55.47 per cent in October 2002 compared to 55.87 per cent in October 2001. For C-, D-, and Ε-class hotels, occupancy rates in October 2002 were 49.45, 19.43, and 24.98 per cent respectively, compared to 46.45, 38.90, and 22.68 per cent in October 2001.
Year-on-year occupancy rates for the months January through October show an increase for L-class hotels and a decline in all other categories: L-class hotels 52.43 in 2002 compared to 47.62 per cent in 2001; Α-class hotels 63.15 per cent in 2002 compared to 65.31 per cent in 2001; Β-class hotels 58.84 per cent in 2002 compared to 66.42 per cent in 2001; C-class hotels 43.42 per cent in 2002 compared to 44.19 per cent in 2001; D-class hotels 23.96 per cent in 2002 compared to 26.33 per cent in 2001; and, Ε-class 18.80 per cent in 2002 compared to 26.13 per cent in 2001.

KARAMANOU NEW COMMERCIAL MANAGER OF AMADEUS HELLAS
Eva Karamanou has joined Amadeus Hellas as the company's new commercial manager. The appointment was announced by Robert Capello, general manager of the fastest growing Global Distribution System in Greece and Cyprus.
"Eva has considerable sales management experience, energy, and a dynamic personality. She joins Amadeus Hellas at an exciting time of growth and development," he said.
Α member of the sales and management team of Sabre Hellas for eleven years, Karamanou has extensive experience in the travel industry in the U.S. and in Greece, especially in the field of GDS.
"Joining Amadeus Hellas is a wonderful opportunity and a unique challenge. My intention is to further contribute to the company's success story and indisputable growth," she said.

GREEK “ODYSSEY” ΟΝ JAPANESE TV
Television crews from three highly rated Japanese television shows visited Greece recently to film programs in Athens and on the islands, the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) said.
Α crew from ΝΗΚ toured Athens, Thessaloniki, Delphi, Pella, and Ancient Olympia for a ΝΗΚ Special-Eurasian Odyssey, to be aired in April. Cross TV West Co Ltd. also sent a camera crew to Athens for a special about Greek children to air in January and February as part of its "The Future Star: Children on the Earth" program.
In January, Japanese television viewers will also see a TV Man Union special on the Dodecanese island of Karpathos as part of its "Sekai Ururun Taizeki" program on TBS.

MORE RUSSIANS TRAVELLING ABROAD
The number of Russians travelling abroad rose from 17 million in 2001 to an estimated 20 million in 2002, according to data compiled by Visa International. The estimate was based on a 68 per cent increase in money spent on foreign travel by Russians in 2001 compared to the previous year.
According to Visa International, the largest number of Visa card transactions by Russian cardholders were recorded in Germany and totalled $60 million. Russian tourists also charged $50 million on their Visa cards during visits to France, $49 million on visits to the U.S., $47 million on visits to Italy, and $39 million on visits to Britain.
"Russian clients are proving to be resilient to adverse travel-related news and are continuing to travel in increasing numbers," said Stanislava Blagoeva-Duschell, Director of ΙΤΕ Travel Exhibitions, who organizes Mitt, the Moscow International Travel and Tourism exhibition. "In fact due to the decrease in costs of international travel, overseas travel has become even more appealing for many Russians."
The 10th Mitt will be held in Moscow on March 26-29. Research by Russian Travel Monitor shows that 60% of all trips abroad are taken in the summer months. Since bookings are traditionally made at the shortest possible notice, early spring is prime buying season in the Russian market.

ΕΧΑ ELECTS NEW OFFICERS
Giorgos Tsakiris is president of the new board elected by the e Union of Athens Hoteliers (ΕΧΑ) elected in November. Serving with him on the board are vice presidents Gerasimos Kalligeros and Marios Vassilopoulos, general secretary Ioannis Retsos, alternate general secretary Apostolos Moussamas, treasurer Ioannis Brazitikios, internal affairs officer Efstathios Makris, public relations officers Alexandros Arapakis, and members Constantine Avrambos, Andreas Kottas, Panayiotis Palyvois, and Giorgos Politis.

ATHENS HOTELIERS ΤΑΚΕ POSITION ΟΝ DEVELOPMENT LAW
Special provision should be made in the new development law for the four Olympic cities and ancient Olympia in order to help local businesses meet demands that stem from hosting the 2004 Olympic Games, said the Union of Athens Hoteliers (ΕΧΑ).
The proposal was included in a six-page paper outlining ΕΧΑ's position on the new development law. The hoteliers' union called for adoption of a growth model that sets limits on the number and type of subsidized investment based on the development potential of each area or region. It said that investment proposals should be reviewed by different agencies, according to the size of the proposed funding.
ΕΧΑ also noted the need for a separate law stipulating rules and conditions for hotel modernization, and an increase in the subsidy from 25 to 35 per cent.
Other points raised by the hoteliers' union includes provision for loading areas for taxis and buses outside hotels, the need for a promotional campaign for greater Athens, and the reintroduction of an airport express shuttle from Omonia, especially during the night.

DAEDALUS AWARDS PRESENTED ΤΟ YOUNG INVENTORS
Students at the 1st Mytilene ΤΕΕ won the first prize in the annual Daedalus competition for their tent construction. Second prize was awarded to the 1st SEK-6th Athens ΤΕΕ for a remote-guided motion detector and third prize was awarded to the 5th SEK-3rd Ilion ΤΕΕ for a test boiler.
The awards were presented at the Technopolis Center in Athens on November 24. The competition is named after the legendary craftsman and inventor who built the Minotaur's labyrinth on Crete. It is sponsored by the ΕΡΕΑΕΚ vocational training program, the National Youth Foundation, and Education Ministry, and is organized by iForce Communications in cooperation with Plotin Travel. The finalists were chosen among competitors in regional competitions held in early November in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Iraklio, Rhodes, Kozani, Orestiada, Ioannina, Kalamata, Larissa, and Halkida.
The judges' panel included writer Antonis Samarakis, Lazaros Efremoglou, president of the Foundation for the Hellenic World, and Athens University professor Giorgos Kalkanis.
The Daedalus program was launched last year and is financed with funds from the EU's Community Support Framework. Its aim is to foster creativity and inventiveness among students and teachers.

BIBLIOTHECA ALEXANDRINA INAUGURATED
Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos was among the international dignitaries who attended the official inauguration of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt in late November. The 45,000-square meter library was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta and is located near the old Royal Quarters, believed to be the site of the famed Alexandria library of antiquity.
The library was founded under the Aswan Declaration in 1990 and built with the assistance of Unesco as well as donations from the international community in cooperation with the Egyptian government.

GOVERNMENT ΤΟ HOLD TALKS WITH TRAVEL SECTOR
Development Undersecretary Dimitris Georgakopoulos will hold a series of contacts with representatives of travel and tourism enterprises for an exchange of views on investment initiatives.
According to a ministry statement, the talks are also aimed at discussion issues related to programs for extending the tourist season.

ΕΟΤ STAFF ΡΕΤΙΤΙΟΝ ΟΝ LABOR LAW
Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) staff authorized their union to call labor action unless a series of outstanding pay and other issues are resolved. The authorization was included in a petition that protested the planned break-up of the organization. The union emphasized that ΕΟΤ should be the sole authority charged with implementing Greece's tourism policy.
The petition, made public by the ΕΟΤ employees' union, said its members opposed mandatory transfers, and said that employees transferred to other services be allowed to chose social security funds. The union also called for permanent employment contracts for 227 ΕΟΤ employees who have worked for the organization on a temporary basis for the last 10 years.

VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS ΕΧΡΟ GROWS
More than 14,000 visitors attended Visual Communications 2002 at Fiera Milano in November, an increase of seven per cent in visitor traffic over the 2001 expo. The annual trade also drew more exhibitors as 226 companies from 23 countries participated this year. More than 600 participants also registered for the expo seminars, whose sessions focused on neon, sign-design, and digital printing. Α special section on Neon & Lighting drew an estimated 5,000 visitors.
Visual Communication is represented in Greece by XL-Advertising Communication Ltd. in Athens.

NBC ΤΟ PROMOTE GREECE ΟΝ U.S. TELEVISION
More than 400 hours of programming on Greece have been scheduled on the U.S. television network NBC as part of the promotion of the 2004 Olympic Games to be held in Athens.
The programming is part of a cooperation deal between NBC, the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ), and the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee. It will include seven-minute videoclips and other shows about Greece and the Games. NBC has the U.S. broadcast rights for the 2004 Olympics.
Mark Levy, NBC's chief producer, visited Greece in mid-November at the head of a network crew that scouted locations such as Ancient Olympia, Kefallonia, and Santorini. Another NBC crew is expected to scout central Greece and Epirus in early 2003.

U.S. TRAVEL AGENTS VISIT GREECE
Α delegation of 16 travel agency owners visited Greece from November 15-19 as part of a briefing tour organized by the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ).
Organized by the Virginia-based Key Tours, the briefing trip featured visits to Delphi, Sounion, Aegina, Poros, Hydra, and prime Athens sights such as the Acropolis. The delegation also visited the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and the Athens underground transit system, or metro.
The travel representatives were especially interested in the day-cruise to the Saronic islands, which they said they would recommend to clients planning to visit Greece.

STRINTZIS ΝΕΤ PROFITS UP 75,3 PERCENT
Strintzis Naftiliaki Α.Ε. has reported a 75.3 per cent increase in pre-tax net profits for the first nine months of 2002 compared to the same period of the previous year.
Α company press release said sales in the first nine months of 2002 were up eight per cent over the same period of the previous year, totalling 95,707,000 euros compared to 88,607,000 euros during the first nine months of 2001. Net profits (before taxes) totalled 3,374,000 euros for the first nine months of 2002, compared to 1,924,000 euros for the first nine months of 2001.
The company said the increase was due to improvements in its passenger ferries and lines, especially the addition of the Blue Star Paros and Blue Star Naxos to the busy Cyclades routes. Blue Star 1 also boosted route efficiency, permitting the company to complete four round-trip sailings each week from Piraeus to Kos and Rhodes.
It should be noted that the company's turnover increased despite a 29.7 per cent reduction in routes due to the sale of the Ionian Sun, Blue Aegean, and SeaJet 1.

ΕΟΤ ΤΟ ISSUE GUIDE FOR HANDICAPPED
The Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) will issue a special European Union guide in Greek on facilities for the physically handicapped, ΕΟΤ president Yiannis Patellis announced recently.
Speaking about tourism and the Paraolympics, Patellis said that ΕΟΤ had recently conducted inspections of tourist facilities in greater Athens to record those with handicapped access. These facilities included organized beaches, hotels, archaeological sites, and other areas of interest to visitors.
Athens will host the Paraolympics in 2004. The venue was the focus of a special conference held in Dusseldorf recently.

OLYMPIC VILLAGE ΤΟ PROVIDE WORKERS' HOUSING
The Olympic Village will provide housing for 10,000 Greek workers and their families after the 2004 Games, Labor Minister Dimitris Reppas said in a statement.
He said that after the Games, the Village would contribute to the upgrading of the quality of life for the residents of greater Athens.

BRITISH PRESS FOCUSES ΟΝ GREECE
Greece was featured in several leading British magazines this year, including a nine-page spread in ΟΚ magazine with photos from celebrity couple Jack Ryder and Kym Marsh's honeymoon. Coverage of Greece as a tourist destination also extended into the trade press, with a flattering profile in Meeting Planner magazine titled Greece "goes for the gold in the events industry." There was also extensive coverage of Greek facilities in Meetings & Incentives and Conferences & Incentives, two widely-read trade journals.
Travel Bulletin made Greece the cover story of its October issue, while the consumer magazine Which? also dedicated its autumn issue to Greece.
Meantime, the Financial Times published a six-page feature on Greece, including the tourism and the Olympic Games. Α 20-page insert was also published with the Economist.

APG HELLAS ADDS ΗΑΗΝ AIR ΤΟ ROSTER
Hahn Air, a German airline that represents 45 regional carriers that are too small to set up their own branch offices abroad or do not wish to spend large amounts on BSP, has set up a new distribution channel for these airlines through its general sales agent APG Hellas.
Airlines available through the Hahn Air network are listed online at www.hr-ticketing.com, and include PLUNA, COPA Airlines, TANS, Aviacsa, Siberia Airlines, Germania and InterSky. The network also participates in multi-airline pass services like the All America Airpass (www.allairpass.com).

LOUIS HOTELS NABS AWARD ΑΤ WTM
The Louis King Jason Apartments in Paphos won two gold medals from the Thomson travel group this year for best four-star winter hotel and one of the best four-star summer hotels.
The awards were presented at the World Travel Market in London, one of the leading international tourism exhibitions. This was the ninth consecutive year that Louis Hotels have received a Thomson award.
The Louis King Jason Apartments has 78 apartments and has won the Thomson prize since opening in 1994. Other Louis hotels to receive prizes included the Louis Creta Princess in Hania that received the "First Choice" award in the all-inclusive category. Located at Maleme bay, the hotel has 420 rooms, including 228 rooms in bungalows, as well as three restaurants, three bars, a disco, and three swimming pools.

MARCH IS GREEK ΜΟΝΤΗ ΟΝ GERMAN RAIL
German rail passengers in March will have the opportunity to sample Greek food and learn about Greek destinations during a special promotion campaign on German railways organized by the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ).
"We took into account both the importance of the German travel market to Greece, but also the originality of this promotional method," said ΕΟΤ president Yiannis Patellis at a news conference to present "Greek Month on the German Railways."
Similar promotions had been organized in Germany in 1999 and 2000.
Athens 2004, the organizing committee for the Olympic Games, will also participate in this year's campaign. Its focus will be to promote Greek food and the healthful Mediterranean diet.

AGENTS’ FIGHT WITH ΙΑΤΑ ESCALATES
Relations between the European Community Travel Agents' Association (ECTAA) and ΙΑΤΑ have been strained by ΙΑΤΑ's decision to suspend talks on the Passenger Protection Plan, or ΡΡΡ, according to a statement issued by the Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents (ΗΑΤΤΑ).
Talks on a formulating a plan that would protect passengers against the prospect of an airline's bankruptcy had begun in 1999 between ECTAA, ΙΑΤΑ, and the Universal Federation of Travel Agents' Associations (UFTAA). In its statement, ΗΑΤΤΑ said that such a plan would be meaningless without airlines' participation thus ECTAA had decided to file a complaint against ΙΑΤΑ with the European Commission.
In October, European and Greek travel agents filed a complaint against ΙΑΤΑ and its member-airlines for violations of European anti-monopoly laws after talks became deadlocked.

CANDIA MARIS OFFERS HOLIDAY PACKAGES
Candia Maris, a five-star hotel located near Iraklion, Crete, has organized special holiday packages, including meals. Rate specials are listed on the resort's website (www.maris.gr/special-offers).
Candia Maris offers a sea therapy spa and full beauty treatments, available singly or as a package. Resort facilities include a beauty parlour, art gallery, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, miniature golf, basketball courts, mini soccer, volleyball, as well as organized leisure activities such as bridge, bingo, backgammon, and other games.

PATELLIS ADDRESSES LONDON CONFERENCE
Yiannis Patellis, head of the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) was one of the speakers at conference held in London in early December on "Greece: Regional Economic Center in Southeast Europe."
Patellis, a guest of the British-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, outlined investment opportunities in tourism. During his visit to London, the ΕΟΤ president also met with ΕΟΤ officials from London and Germany, two countries that represent 40 per cent of tourist arrivals in Greece.

GREECE, INDIA DISCUSS TRAVEL COOPERATION
Greek and Indian officials discussed prospects for closer cooperation in tourism, including Indian cinematographers' interest in Greece as a location for films.
The issue was raised at a meeting of the Indian Ambassador to Greece, Ak Panerjin, with Development Undersecretary Dimitris Georgakopoulos. The Indian diplomat said there was considerable interest in Greece as a tourist destination, especially among wealthy Indians.

HOTELIERS SAY 2002 ARRIVALS DOWN
Tourist arrivals in 2002 are expected to show a drop of between five and eight per cent, according to estimates discussed at a meeting of members of the Panhellenic Hoteliers' Federation (ΡΟΧ) on the sidelines of the annual Philoxenia show. Hoteliers estimate this drop in arrivals will correspond to a decline of over ten per cent in room nights.
According to the Union of Athens Hoteliers (ΕΧΑ) bulletin, the meeting also discussed the impact on tourism of the economic downtown and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New York. Hoteliers agreed that promotional campaigns abroad should be intensified and that taxes and other indirect burdens on tourist enterprises lowered to help businesses weather the downturn.

SEGAS ANNOUNCES ΜΕΕΤ TENDERS
SEGAS, the Greek track and field association, has issued tenders for three athletic meets to be held in Athens in 2003: the Balkan Indoor Track and Field Championship, February 22; the International Athena Meeting, March 2; and, International Marathon, November 2.

ΡΟΕΤ CRITICIZES TOURISM TRAINING BILL
The Panhellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises has criticized a draft law on training programs for the travel and tourism sector, claiming the measure addresses the issue in a piecemeal and ineffective manner.
ΡΟΕΤ said the planned Organization for Tourism Education and Training should be established under the Education Ministry rather than under the Development Ministry, which is responsible for tourism. It also criticized the levy of tuition as being counter to the Greek principle of providing free public education.
Commenting on draft legislation regarding outstanding tax debts of Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) properties, ΡΟΕΤ expressed its members discomfiture at how the issue had been handled.

ΕΧΑ ADDS 17 MEMBERS
The Union of Athens Hoteliers (ΕΧΑ) has added 17 new members to its rosters: the Margi in the Athens suburb of Kavouri, the President Hotel in Athens, the Astor in Athens, Sofitel at the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport at Spata, Herodion in Athens, Fenix in Glyfada, London in Glyfada, Poseidon in Paleo Faliro, Philippos in Athens, Avra in Paleo Faliro, Maroussi in Maroussi, Χ-Dreams in Piraeus, Holiday's in Varkiza, Anemone in Piraeus, Cecil in Athens, Attiki in Athens, and Diana in Athens.

AIRPORT FEES ΤΟ ΒΕ WAIVED FOR CHARTER FLIGHTS
Development Undersecretary Dimitris Georgakopoulos has proposed that airport fees for charter flights arriving at airports on Corfu, Rhodes, Crete and Thessaloniki be waived as from November 1.
The waiver was proposed as part of a package of measures aimed at extending the tourist season into the late autumn and early winter.

ECOTOURISM GETS GOVERNMENT BOOST
Incentives and ideas for boosting ecotourism in Greece were discussed at a meeting in early December chaired by Development Undersecretary Dimitris Georgakopoulos.
Participants discussed ways to implement Prime Minister Costas Simitis's directive to provide greater support to rural areas. Proposals promoting ecotourism will be reviewed and assessed for viability by the National Bank of Greece and ΕΤΑ. Projects that are approved will receive loans at favourable rates from the bank, while some may also be eligible for European Union monies through the 3rd Community Support Framework.

GREEK COMPANIES ΑΤ FLORENCE ΕΧΡΟ
Grecotel, Helios Hotel & Resort, and the Thessaloniki-based Convention Bureau represented Greece at the Borsa del Turismo Congressualle held in Florence in early December.
The Greek delegation was coordinated by the Rome bureau of the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ).

ΕΟΤ STEPS UP QUALITY CHECKS ΙΝ ATTICA
The Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) will step up its inspections of tourist facilities as part of the preparations for hosting the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2004 Paralympics, Development Minister Akis Tsohadzopoulos said.
The quality checks will be carried out at tourist facilities, as well as public spaces, museums, and other areas that attract visitors.

MINISTRY SUBMITS BILL ΟΝ TOURIST INVESTMENT
Measures concerning investment in high-class hotels and tourist-linked real estate development are the focus of draft legislation submitted by the Development Ministry in a bill on tourism training.
Among the measures is the establishment of a 20 per cent building coefficient for tourist facilities, regardless of lot size. The bill also provides for luxury hotels to add extensions equal in height to the main building.

NEW BOOKS ΟΝ TOURISM SECTOR
Propombos Editions has recently published two new titles on the tourism industry. They are: "Research on Tourism in Greece and Cyprus" by Vassiliki Galani-Moutafi and "Lodgings and Tourist Facility Law," by Elisavet Hatzinicolaou.

GREECE MAKES ΤΗΕ COVER OF “TRAVELLER”
Conde Nast "Traveller," one of the world's leading travel magazines, featured Greece on the cover of its December issue.
The story, "Ahh Greece! The Aegean's idyllic islands" was cited by Greek tourism officials as the fruit of a concerted effort to promote Greece in the U.S. market.

DISTINCTION FOR CORFU RESORT
The Messonghi Beach Holiday Resort on the Ionian island of Corfu was awarded first prize by the German carrier LTU as the friendliest hotel for families and children in Greece.
The web site of the hotel is www.messonghibeach.gr.

KIEV GETS ΕΧΡΟ CENTER
The 15,200-square-meter International Exhibition Center will open in downtown Kiev in February, following completion of two 2,500 square meter pavilions.
The world class exhibition venue was developed in partnership with ΙΤΕ Group Plc and will be complemented by a business center, hotels, warehouses, ample parking, restaurants and other amenities.
Among the first exhibitions to be hosted at the new venue is Uitt 2003, the Ukraine international travel and tourism expo to be held April 2-5. The trade show has been organized by ΙΤΕ Travel Exhibitions for the last five years.

SAE VICE PRESIDENT MEETS WITH GREEK, CYPRIOT DIPLOMATS
Vassilis Magdalinos, Vice President - Coordinator of Asia-Africa of the World Council of Hellenes, met with Greek and Cypriot diplomats in Pretoria recently to discuss the recent visit of Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos to South Africa as well as developments in the Cyprus issue.

BLUE STAR RESPONDS ΤΟ ΑΝΕΚ
Blue Star Ferries has issued a statement refuting claims made by ΑΝΕΚ Lines in an earlier announcement.
Among points raised by Blue Star was that its ship Blue Star 2 was scheduled to serve routes for 11 months and 10 days and would only be docked for 20 days for annual inspection and maintenance works.

PATRAS, CORFU HOST CONVENTION SEMINARS
The Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ) has organized seminars in Patras (January 13) and Corfu (January 14) on convention tourism. Featured speakers at both seminars are Caroline Dow, head of sales and marketing for the Scottish Convention Bureau, and Debbie Jackson of ΕΙΒΤΜ/Reed Exhibitions.
Tom Nutley, another Reed Exhibitions executive, will speak at an international conference organized by ΕΟΤ on the prospects of convention travel during the Xenia trade show on January 22.

GREECE HOSTS HOSTAGE KIDS
Thirteen children held hostage by terrorists during the attack on the Nord-Ost Theater in Moscow spent the first week of January in Greece as the guests of the Greek National Tourism Organization (ΕΟΤ).
During their stay, the children visited Delphi, the Argolid, and the Saronic isles. The hospitality invitation was extended to the Russian Deputy Development Minister, Vladimir Strezialkovski, by Development Minister Akis Tsohadzopoulos during the Philoxenia trade show.

GRECOTEL CRETA PALACE HOSTS DEFENCE MINISTERS
The European Union's Secretary General, Javier Solana, and ΝΑΤΟ secretary-general Lord Robertson joined the Informal Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the European Union, held in October on Crete.
The meetings were held at the Grecotel Creta Palace, while the main reception was held at the Daskalantonakis family's Agreco organic farm near Rethymno.

ATTICA ENTERPRISES PRE-ΤΑΧ EARNINGS UP
Attica Enterprises recorded a 25.7 per cent increase in turnover in the first nine months of 2002 compared to the same period of the previous year, the company said in a statement.
It said it turnover for January-September 2002 totalled 246.7 million euros compared to 196.4 million euros in the same period of 2001. Earnings before interest, tax, and depreciation totalled 52.3 million euros, up 37.4 per cent over 2001.
During this period, the group took delivery of three new Superfast ferries and two new Blue Star ferries, and sold Superfast ΙΙΙ and Superfast IV.
For the fifth consecutive year, Superfast ferries ranked first in passenger and truck transport on Adriatic routes, garnering a 26 per cent market share of passenger and freight traffic between all Italian routes and Greece. The company has also succeeded in capturing a significant share of the Germany-Finland route and has carried over 135,000 passengers, 50,000 cars, and 30,000 trucks on those lanes in the first nine months of 2002.
In May, Superfast inaugurated a Scotland-Belgium route, the only direct link between Scotland and continental Europe.

From My Notebook-By Connie Soloyanis
- The city of Athens is to be one of the prime targets in promotion abroad by the Hellenic National Tourism Organization for 2003.
- The ΗΝΤΟ targets some 20 million incoming tourists by the year 2010. This year╒s total is expected to reach 14 million.
- Influx of visitors from the U.S.Α. to Greece is hopefully expected to be pushed up to one million a year by 2010, up from the present average of 200,000 per annum.
- Advertising campaigns by the ΗΝΤΟ have been rescheduled to start at the end of the year instead of the beginning of the new year.
- Worldwide air travel is expected to reach over 500 million passengers annually by the year 2030.
- Parallel to this forecast several new “low-cost” airlines are expected to start flying, including on transatlantic routings. Does anyone remember Freddie Laker? Among new names to conjure are Globespan and Sky-Bus International.
- Greece was well represented at the recent World Travel Market in London, which had some 45,000 travel professionals attending. The new locale of the WTM (at the Excel coliseum in the Docklands) caused travel problems for many attending the show.
- Athens Olympic Games 2004 loom as one of the most expensive ever (from spectator attendee viewpoint), according to reports of the travel trade press at the WTM.
- Further criticism in relation to the Games has been aimed at gay singer George Michael (of Greek heritage), at his being picked to write and record a theme song for the 2004 Olympics. Both his behavior and his lewd conduct and negative attitude towards President Bush have been cited.
- And, there is widespread disapproval of the “repairing” of the Parthenon (at a cost of $30 million) for the Olympics.
- Additional criticism of Greece at the WTM was that some of the idyllic beaches are beginning to resemble garbage dumps and huge cigarette ashtrays.
- The National Archeological Museum of Athens has been closed for general renovations (budgeted at 33.7 million Euros). Scheduled to reopen in April of 2004.
- Mobile telephones in Greece now number close to eight million, for a population of ten million people. It has been estimated that only some 17 percent of mobile phone owners use their instruments for professional reasons.
- According to some regular air travelers British Airways must have the most narrow seating of all airlines.
- Air travel to the Middle East, especially the Holy Land, has dropped so dramatically that an estimated 45,000 people in the tourism-hospitality field in Israel have been laid off. Ranks of some local travel agencies have been thinned as well.
- Facilities for self-service check-in on U.S. airline flights are being increased. It is estimated that the average check-in takes four minutes, while self-service takes but one minute.
- Thanks to friendly gestures by China airlines flying from Asia to Europe have cut flying time by at least one hour. This is due to new, non-oceanic routing over the Himalayas mountains.

AIR MAURITIUS OFFERS ΝΟΝ-STOP FLIGHTS ΤΟ AFRICA
Air Mauritius offers travellers non-stop flights between many of the 29 destination served by its fleet of Boeing 767 and Airbus 340 aircraft.
The airline has daily flights to Mauritius from many European destinations, including night flights so travellers do not lose any vacation or business time to travel.
The airline also offers free stopovers at European destinations.

GREEK RESORTS ΑΤ CANNES ΕΧΡΟ
Nineteen Greek resorts and luxury hotels participated in the International Luxury Travel Market held in Cannes in early December. Organized by Reed Exhibitions, the expo drew 450 exhibitors from around the world and featured 167 pavilions.

ΕΟΤ ΤΟ APPLY FOR Ε-BUSINESS FUNDS
Greece will apply for participation in a pilot program aimed at developing e-business applications for tourism as part of the European Union's "Information Society" program.
The pilot program has already been implemented by Spain and Malta, and features interactive applications for consumers and businesses.

PHILOXENIA 2002 DATA
Α total of 665 exhibitors participated in the 18th Philoxenia expo held in Thessaloniki last November, according to Helexpo data.
Exhibition area used totalled 10,078 sqm for 269 exhibitors' own stands and 396 exhibitors who shared space. The 120 foreign exhibitors at Philoxenia represented 37 foreign countries.
The 19th Philoxenia will be held in Thessaloniki October 30-November 2, 2003.

HOLIDAYS ΑΤ ΤΗΕ GRAND HOTEL EGNATIA
The Grand Hotel Egnatia, a Grecotel City Hotel, put together special packages for Christmas and New Year's for visitors spending the holidays in Alexandroupolis.
The three- and five-day packages including breakfast buffet, gala holiday meals, tour of the Dadia forest, use of the hotel's state-of-the-art fitness center, and gift basket.

LOUIS CRUISE LINES LINK UP WITH HILTON
Louis Cruise Lines Ltd. and Louis Hotels have signed a deal with Hilton International under which the Cyprus-based company has renewed its management contract of the Hilton Cyprus.

ATTICA FOOTBALL PARK OPENS
Amateur football players have a new park for recreation: the five-acre Attica Football Park created at the Voula Beach by the Apollonies Aktes management company.
Facilities include football fields for 11- and nine-player matches, three fields for six- and five-a-side matches, spectator seating for 1,000, changing rooms, and a 500-car parking area.
The park was created jointly with Fun Football Fields and Polat S.Α., and is the official seat of the Olympiakos Football Club academies.
Apollonies Aktes is a consortium formed by Vernicos Yachts, EFG Eurobank Properties, V+Ο Communication Resources and Ef Zin Events & Recreation Productions.

OLYMPUS PLAZA OPENS “SKY LOUNGE”
The Sky Lounge is a brand new, sound-proofed meeting room overlooking the runways of the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport at Spata.
The room is available for rent for day meetings. Equip-ment includes overhead projector/screen, flip charts, internet access; two coffee breaks and business lunch included in package.
The Sky Lounge is located on the first floor of the Olympus Plaza. The Sky View on the third floor is also available for social events.
The Olympus Plaza Foodpark is 800 meters from the main airport building. Open 24-hours, it features the Everest, Papagalino, and La Pasteria restaurants for snacks or complete meals.