October 2003

Let’s take up the Golden Opportunity
As this issue goes to press, Greece has just passed another important marker on the countdown to the start of the 2004 Olympic Games: 300 days to go. Looking at the special pins issues by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, it doesn't seem that long ago that the country began counting down from 1,000 days. But what has happened in the period. Certainly, there has been considerable progress made in completing infrastructure works, adjustments, and improvements at existing athletic facilities and construction of new ones. This work will continue - in some cases down to the wire - so that Greece can host the premier athletic event. But that's just infrastructure. What has happened in other, equally vital areas to the Games' success such as planning and promotion?
If you ask anyone in the Greek tourist industry, the kindest answer you will get is nothing or very little has happened. Across the board, from travel agents to hoteliers, there is a deepening disappointment at the lack of direction both from the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee and the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT). In the preceding months, the focus has been on getting the physical infrastructure in place, but little attention has been paid to how all the separate parts of that infrastructure will work together. Because the focus has been on next year, tourists - and by extension, the tourist industry - have been left hanging this year. A number of prime sites have been closed for renovations, the EOT information booth downtown was closed as a result of the organization's relocation to Ampelokipi, an area off the tourist circuit, and there have been many complaints about the lack of promotional material and brochures, both in Greece and abroad. Not only that, but no attempt has been made to capitalize on the unprecedented promotion opportunities stemming from the Games to bolster tourism - and at a very critical time for the sector, indeed.
True, some measures have been announced. But over time, they've proven inadequate or have not succeeded to the degree that government officials had hoped. A glaring example is the subsidy program that the Development Ministry devised as an incentive for hoteliers to renovate their properties and upgrade their hotels. The program is now being adjusted and extended to make broaden eligibility and increase the number of successful applicants for the 3,000-euro per room aid.
Promotion is another area in which EOT has failed to pick up the ball and run with it. Greece is participating in a large number of travel trade shows around the world - including the 19th international Philoxenia show in Thessaloniki from October 30-November 2. Greece's pavilion has attracted considerable interest, yet it seems that EOT has failed to act to capitalize on this. Now, less than ten months before the Games begin and at a time when EOT's leadership is sorely needed, the government plans to radically restructure EOT. For EOT to be effective in its new role as the main vehicle for promoting Greece as a tourism destination, this restructuring needs to be quick and the new EOT must be daring and decisive. It will need to move rapidly to devise both a master plan for using the Olympics as a springboard for catapulting Greece into a top tourist destination for the next decade. But any master plan must be implemented down to the tiniest detail: from preparing and printing sufficient quantities of brochures, for distribution in Greece
Greece can longer afford to be passive: it must move aggressively or it risks squandering the golden opportunity offered by the Olympic Games.

Hellenic Travelling

Greece at Mediterranean trade expo
Greece participated in the 4th annual Mediterranean Tourism Expo in Egypt aimed at opening new markets in Middle Eastern and Arab countries.
Fifty countries participated in this year's expo, a significant increase from the 36 that participated this year. The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) was one of 190 exhibitors in the show, including 3,361 travel agencies and 19 Arab and European airlines.

Superfast Ferries hosts rail meeting
Representatives of the Interrail and Eurodomino programs met on board the “Superfast II” for their annual conference. Superfast Ferries, a member of the international rail association UIC, also organized visits to Patras and Ancient Olympia for the delegates.

Commission rules against airlines on commission reduction
Greece's Competition Commission has ruled against two Greek carriers' decisions to reduce agent commissions from 9.25 percent to 6.94 percent on domestic tickets. The carriers, Olympic Airways and Aegean Airlines, were fined a total of 210,000 euros by the Competition Commission, which ruled that they had acted in a joint, coordinated manner thus violating the law on competition.
The ruling was issued in response to a petition filed by Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents (HATTA) and other industry associations.
HATTA has also filed an injunction against Lufthansa, Air France, and Austrian Airlines for reducing agent commissions on foreign flights. The court ruling is expected in early November.

Hoteliers review tourism decline in greater Athens
Hoteliers in greater Athens have sounded the alarm over a 12.5 percent decline in bookings in the first eight months of 2003 compared to the same period of the previous year, claiming this decline represents a loss of roughly 25,000 to 30,000 euros in income.
The warning was issued by the Attica Hoteliers Association (EXA) at a recent news conference to review various issues affecting the hospitality sector less than one year before the 2004 Olympics.
EXA representatives said that occupancy rates were 15 to 20 percent lower than occupancy rates for Sydney, which hosted the 2000 Olympics, during the same period. They noted that in August 2004, Athens will have the most upgraded hotel facilities in Europe, with 5,000 more beds than currently available. According to EXA data, over 900,000 euros is being spent to renovate existing properties and 400,000 euros is being spent to build new hotels.
The hoteliers blamed the year-on-year drop in occupancy on the lack of tourist promotion of greater Athens and the "downgrading" of the Greek capital's tourist image. EXA underscored the need for the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) to make a launch a concerted pro-motional campaign and noted that the nine million euros earmarked for this purpose was inadequate.

AA, BA reach code-sharing agreement
American Airlines and British Airways have signed a code-sharing agreement, thus extending their respective networks on both sides of the Atlantic. Both airlines are part of the Oneworld alliance.
Under the code-share agreement, passengers will also benefit during transfer and check-in procedures.

U.K. expresses interest in convention tourism in Greece
A leading British travel authority praised Greece's decision to open a convention bureau in London, describing it as "one of the most successful initiatives by Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) president Yiannis Patellis."
Martin Lewis, organizer of the annual M&IT exhibition and periodical, said that the infrastructure improvements made to host the 2004 Olympics had rekindled British interest in Greece as an important destination for conferences and exhibits.
He noted that this interest was underscored by the large number of professional conference organizers who visited the EOT pavilion at the trade show held in London last month. EOT also hosted a separate event for PCOs to present its website dedicated to conference and incentive travel.
The Development Ministry, which coordinates tourism policy, said in a statement after the London show that the creation of convention bureaus in Athens, Thessaloniki, and elsewhere will create the requisite network for developing conference tourism. It said that Greece ranked eighth among the most popular meeting destinations in a recent survey.

Brazilian delegation visits EOT
A 15-member delegation of businessmen and government officials from Brazil recently visited Greece for talks with the Greek National Tourism Organization.
The delegation was led by Marconi Ferreira Perillo, governor of the state of Goias. The meeting was arranged through the Greek embassy in Brazil as part of Greece's effort to open the tourist market in South America.
The delegation also visited the Thessaloniki International Fair.

Pegafun launches entertainment, retail outlet in Greece
Pegafun Ltd, an animation and entertainment company founded in 2000 by four Italian entertainers, has opened a store on Crete to provide resort animation teams with props, costumes, and other equipment.
The Essen-based company produces shows for 15 hotels on Crete, Rhodes, and Kos. Its new 200-sqm shop in Kato Gouves, about 15 kilometers from Iraklio, is open year-round and stocks a wide range of merchandise used by animation teams.

Visa International to launch Greece promotion
Visa International, a sponsor of the 2004 Olympic Games, will launch a promotional campaign linked to the Olympics in Travel Weekly, an insert published at the WTM fair in London.
The company is also promoting Greek destinations through internet and direct mail campaigns to Visa subscribers. It also plans to host an information booth for tourists at the Athens International Airport during the Olympic Games.

Aegean introduces discount fares to Italy, Germany
Aegean Airlines has announced discounted fares starting from 79 euros to seven Italian and four German destinations.
The one-way fares are valid from Athens, Thessaloniki, or Kavala to Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, and Dusseldorf and from Athens or Thessaloniki to Rome and Milan. Fares to Germany from all other Greek airports are 99 euros. One-way specials for 109 euros are available from Athens or Thessaloniki to Turin, Genoa, Palermo, Venice, and Catania via Rome. The special fare for these Italian destinations from other Greek airports is 129 euros one-way.
The offers are valid for tickets purchased through October 31 on a limited number of seats. Travel must be completed between October 26 and November 20 (November 30 is the last return date). Reservations can be made by calling 801 11 200000 or 210.9988300.

Hilton opens Aethrion Cafe-Lounge Bar
Greek socialites, business executives, and foreign diplomats were on hand for the opening of the Aethrion, the cafe and lounge-bar of the recently renovated Athens Hilton.
Gianni Riatsch, the hotel's new general manager, greeted guests at a glittery reception with entertainment provided by a jazz pianist and the James Bond girls.
Influenced by the hotel's new interior and exterior design, Aethrion's decor features furniture by B&B Italia. The cafe-lounge bar caters to the coffee and cocktail crowd. Its menu includes homemade desserts, fresh salads, and sandwiches.

Government plans EOT overhaul
The government is planning a radical restructuring of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) aimed at stemming a two-year slide in tourist arrivals.
The issue was discussed at a cabinet-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Costas Simitis where it was decided to reorganize EOT as a societe anonyme with exclusive responsibility for promoting Greece at home and abroad. Under this plan, EOT's activities would be monitored by the Tourism Secretariat.
The meeting also reportedly decided to lift the "saturation status" of 14 Greek regions, including Athens and Attica. Changes in procedures for issuing operating licenses for tourism enterprises would be introduced too.
Greece hopes that by 2010 tourist arrivals will increase to 20 million and revenues from tourism will reach at least three percent of GDP.
Asked by reporters about the plan, Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, whose portfolio includes tourism, said that the restructured EOT would be an agency that essentially monitored the domestic and international tourism market.
"It will be responsible for promotion, advertising, and public relations, he added. " And, of course, it will monitor [global trends]. This is why we see the creation of research infrastructures, such as an institute that complements EOT’s operations.”

European airlines eye possible alliances
A recent cooperation agreement announced by Air France and KLM has prompted talks among other European airlines who are seek partners in a bid to bolster their position in an competitive market.
According to a BBC report, a senior British Airways officials has hinted at the possibility of an alliance with Iberia in an interview with the Spanish daily El Pais. The two airlines already have cooperation agreements on 57 routes.

Stier named new BA sales manager
British Airways has named Freddie Stier as its new sales manager in Athens.
Ms Stier joined the airline in 1985 and has worked in reservations, sales and marketing. She is considered one of the most experienced staff members in her field.
“Our basic goal is to continuously improve services offered to the Greek public and maintain excellent relations with our associates,” she said in a statement.
British Airways has three flights daily linking Athens and London (Heathrow).

Rhodes hosts Unesco heritage meeting
Diplomats and dignitaries from around the world converged on the island of Rhodes recently for the 7th International Symposium of World Heritage Cities.
The symposium highlighted efforts to protect and promote cultural heritage and monuments.

Blue Star reports rise in Passage on Piraeus-Hania line
Passenger traffic rose 30 percent on the Piraeus-Hania line in September compared to the same month of the previous year, Blue Star Ferries said in a
statement. It said that vehicle traffic had risen by 22.27 percent and freight traffic by 23.13 percent during the same months.
It said Blue Star 2 had carried 46,097 passenger, 5,292 cars, and 533 trucks on the Piraeus-Hania line in September.
The company attributed the rise in passenger traffic to the introduction of the Blue Star 2 on the route. The vessel completed 60 sailings, compared to 77 by rival Anek's three ferries.

EOT opens St Petersburg office
The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) has opened a second branch office in Russia aimed at opening this emerging travel market. The new office in St Petersburg was inaugurated on the sidelines of a recent travel expo.
Meantime, Alexis Hatzis, director of EOT's branch office in Moscow, was presented with an award for "excellence in humanitarian initiatives" for EOT's decision to host a group of children from the Nord Ost Theater that had been the target of a terrorist attack.

Athens, Nicosia resolve cruise passenger issue
Greece and Cyprus have reached an agreement on the issue of disembarkation of passengers on cruise liners visiting Greek destinations.
The Cypriot Transport Minister Kiki Kazamia said that the Greek government had agreed to a Cypriot proposal to allow passengers to disembark at Greek island ports and transfer to Piraeus-bound ships.

Sportius hosts Russian journalists
Sportius Hospitality SA hosted a luncheon last month at the Hilton for Russian and Greek correspondents covering the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Sportius is hosting a group of 30 Russian journalists who visited Greece for an exchange on issues related to the preparations for the 2004 Games and their coverage. With the cooperation of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, Sportius arranged a site tour for the Russian journalists as well as meetings with representatives of the Games' organizing committee. The Russian journalists were also taken to Loutraki where Sportius has booked 2,000 visitors from Russia and the former Soviet Union during the Games.
"The close communication and relations Sportius Hospitality has forged with Russian journalists and sports officials as a result of the 2004 Olympics is both an honor and a joy," said the company's chairman Markos Siapanis. "Through this relationship we hope to aid in the dissemination of accurate information about this great athletic event as well as the strengthening of ties between Greek and foreign journalists and sports officials."

Zappeion fete marks World Tourism Day
Representatives of Greece's tourism sector joined together to organize a one-day fair on September 27 to celebrate World Tourism Day. Held in Zappeion Park, the fair was organized by the Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents (HATTA) and Panhellenic Association of Maritime and Tourism Staff (PASENT) under the aegis of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT). The fair culminated in the evening with an official ceremony held in the Zappeion Hall atrium.
Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos was among officials attending the ceremonies during which special commendations were presented to the Epidavros Municipality and tourism entrepreneurs on Lefkada for their contributions to the sector.
In this year's celebration, HATTA and PASENT chose to highlight the importance of the human factor in providing high-quality services in the tourism sector. Special focus was also placed on Greek folk culture, including traditional handicrafts, products, and foods.
Activities also included poster and photograph exhibitions.

Aegean Airlines adds domestic, foreign destinations
Aegean Airlines has expanded its network with new domestic and foreign destinations. As from November 3, the carrier will add two flights daily from Athens to Chios and Kos, and one flight from Athens to Milan. Its routes to Germany are also being bolstered with the addition of a regular daily flight to Munich.
In the first eight months of 2003, Aegean Airlines carried 1,833,521 passengers, representing a 14.6 percent increase in its passenger traffic.

World Tourism Day focuses on economic benefits
The World Tourism Organization chose to highlight the economic benefits of tourism and its use as a development tool to eradicate poverty as the main theme of World Tourism Day on September 27.
In a message to mark the occasion, Yiannis Patellis, president of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) said that tourism globally was a driving force for eliminating social inequalities and for regional development. He said tourism was based on human resources and thus provided jobs for large numbers of the population in a range of occupations.
An estimated 300,000 Greeks are directly employed by the sector, with an additional 200,000 employed in related business.

British operators apologize for clients' rowdiness
Greek officials met with British tour operators on Rhodes to discuss the problems created by unruly British tourists this summer as well as means of averting similar incidents in the future.
During the meeting, the Greek and British representatives also discussed joint programs to promote quality tourism in Greece as well as the trend towards last minute bookings.

Greece in Manhattan
New York City got a taste of Greece in September, when the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) launched a joint promotion with the Conde Nast Bridal Group based on a tie-in to the hit movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Blue Star Ferries introduces winter holiday packages
Blue Star Ferries has introduced new holiday packages in cooperation with selected hotels in Hania.
The "Hotel and Ferry" package includes transportation on "Blue Star 2" and stays at local hotels.
The program aims at reinforcing tourist activity in the winter.

EOT employees express concern about sector
Employees of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) have expressed their concern about the future of EOT, saying its effective dissolution had fragmented decision-making and led to a lack of coordination in policies.
In a statement issued to mark World Tourism Day, the employees' union said that the Development Ministry's leadership had tried to break employees' morale through pay policies and tried to eliminate them by denigrating their work and decades of experience through which the "tourism miracle" of contemporary Greece had flourished.

Hoteliers protest strike at archaeological sites
The Attica Hoteliers Association (EXA) has called for an urgent resolution in the labor dispute between the Ministry of Culture and archaeological site staff that has led to the closure of archaeological sites around Greece.
EXA said its members had received numerous complaints from guests, noting that the strikes at archaeological sites had dealt a blow to tourism in greater Athens which is already sliding.

P.O.E.T. issues Tourism Day message
The Panhellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises (POET) expressed its heartfelt wishes that better days lay ahead for the tourism sector, which had been hard hit in recent years by several global developments.
In a message to mark World Tourism Day, the federation said that the Greek tourism sector was looking to the 2004 Olympics to reverse the negative trend. It said 2003 had been a particularly bad year for tourism, during which businesses had suffered significant losses.

Olympic cities promoted at Chicago expo
The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) chose to highlight the six designated Olympic cities - Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Iraklio, Olympia, and Volos - at its pavilion at the international convention tourism fair held in Chicago in September.
Greek exhibitors at the fair included Maris Hotels, Apollo Hotels, Apollo Tours, Chandris Hotels, Intercontinental, Ledra Marriott, Intermed, Conceptouris, Horizon, and Olympic Airways.

Former minister hails World Tourism Day initiative
Aristotelis Pavlidis, a member of Parliament and former cabinet minister, hailed the World Tourism Organization's initiative to establish September 27 as "World Tourism Day."
Pavlidis, who chairs the Tourism Committee of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly, said that World Tourism Day would help increase awareness of the development goals of the United Nations. He also pledged his committee's full support in implementing these goals.

Unesco adopts "olive routes"
The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) presented its initiative to create an "olive route" in Mediterranean countries along the lines of the "silk route" in the Far East.
The initiative has been adopted by Unesco as its fifth cultural route.

Motoring club highlights pedestrian safety
The Hellenic Motoring Club (ELPA) launched a public information campaign aimed at preventing traffic accidents. The campaign, organized to coincide with a Traffic Police safety campaign, aimed at increasing public awareness among drivers that pedestrians also have rights on the street.
According to Greek police data, one in three traffic accidents involve pedestrians.

OA restores routes to Australia
Olympic Airways has announced that it will reintroduce flights to Australia as from November 23, roughly one year after the airline suspended operation of the route.
The route is being reintroduced as part of a cooperation between Olympic Airways and Gulf Air.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Athens, the managing directors of Olympic Airways and Gulf Air, Dionysis Kalofonos and James Hogan, said that under the agreement, the daily flights would operate with an OA flight number, with a transfer at Bahrain.
The Athens-Bahrain leg will be served by Gulf Air Airbus A320 aircraft, while the second leg, Bahrain-Sydney, will be served by an A340 aircraft.
Hogan said that flight crews would include attendants who spoke Greek.

Germanwings adds Thessaloniki-Stuttgart route
The budget airline Germanwings has introduced a Thessaloniki-Stuttgart route, bringing its total flights between Greece and German to ten per week.
The new route was introduced in September and complements its connections between Athens and Thessaloniki to Cologne.
"After long and intensive talks with several German airports we have finally decided for Stuttgart," Dr. Joachim Klein, CEO of Germanwings, stated. "Stuttgart has an outstanding infrastructure. Furthermore Stuttgart has one of the largest Greek communities in Germany," he added.
Flights are operated with an Airbus A319. Through Germanwings' Cologne hub, passengers can reach 20 more European destinations from Athens and Thessaloniki.
Germanwings flights from Athens to Cologne depart at 15:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays; flights from Thessaloniki to Cologne depart at 15:55 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; and flights from Thessaloniki to Stuttgart depart at 10:45 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Infrastructure works announced for 20 Cyclades ports
The government is evaluating infrastructure improvements totaling 80 million euros for 20 ports in the Cyclades islands.
The proposed projects have been included in a 600-million-euro regional investment program for the southern Aegean, which includes restoration works for areas that suffered flood damage.
The infrastructure improvements aim at bolstering sea transport to the islands in the wake of the increased competition and improved services from deregulation of coastal shipping.

Development Ministry issues race track specs
The Development Ministry has prepared a draft Presidential Decree outlining the technical and other specifications for a Formula 1 track in Greece aimed at attracting potential investors.
Meantime, members of Parliament representing the main opposition New Democracy party have submitted questions regarding the inadequacy of golf courses in Greece. They also accused the government of failing to support adequate promotional programs to offset the drop in tourism as a result of global developments.

Attica hoteliers host hygiene seminar
The Attica Hoteliers Association (EXA) recently hosted a seminar on public health and hygiene issues aimed at helping hotels in the Athens area focus on these important issues ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games.
The seminar was organized in cooperation with the Athens Regional Health Directorate and the Ministry of Health. Topics addressed included public health inspections of restaurants, bars, and food preparation areas in hotels, licensing procedures and maintenance for swimming pools, and precautions and preemptive measures against potential hazards to public health.

Elounda Beach Hotel makes Conde Nast top 50
The Elounda Beach Hotel, flagship resort of the Helios Hotels & Resorts group, was listed as one of Conde Nast Traveler's top 50 hotels in the world and one of the top 20 in Europe.
Conde Nast Traveler, one of the most popular travel magazines, has a global circulation.
"Such distinctions are the best reward for our efforts to provide high quality services at every level," said Alexis Kimisis, general manager of the Helios group.

High-Q wins 2004 license
The High-Q consortium has been awarded the license to produce apparel, including hats and accessories, with the Athens 2004 logo. Apparel sales account for roughly 60 to 70 percent of sales of all Olympic licensed merchandise.
High-Q products are currently available through more than 1,500 outlets in Greece and Cyprus as well as the Olympic Stores in Athens and at Athens International Airport.
The consortium has launched a 2.5-million-euro media campaign to promote its products and plans fashion shows in the Olympic cities of Patras, Volos, and Iraklio.

Hoteliers press for policing in Athens
Greek police have devised a schedule of police patrols aimed at discouraging petty crimes at prime tourist locations in Athens. Responding to an appeal from the Attica Hoteliers Association (EXA), the Acropolis Precinct said that crime-prevention measures in the center included stepped up patrols, both in vehicles and on foot, and closer coordination with the Aliens Department.

Women in Tourism promote Athens as a destination
Women in Tourism hosted a meeting in mid-October to discuss ways of promoting Athens and Attica as an independent travel destination aimed at extending the tourist season and gradually reducing its seasonality.
The informal gathering provided participants with an opportunity to exchange ideas on how to bring together tourism professionals in Athens.
The event, held at the St George Lycabettus Hotel in Athens, was organized in cooperation with the City of Athens and the Embassy of Sweden.

Hoteliers discuss capital's problems with mayor
A delegation representing the Attica Hoteliers Association (EXA) met recently with Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni to discuss a range of issues related to tourism.
Issues discussed included installation of information kiosks at Omonia and Syntagma squares, policing in the city center, crackdowns on unlicensed street vendors, and relocating trash bins outside hotel entrances.
Bakoyianni said that the municipal authority was developing a model trash collection program that would resolve the bins issue and that info kiosks were being tendered.

ETA unveils advertising campaign ahead of bourse entry
Hellenic Tourism Properties (ETA) recently unveiled its media promotional campaign ahead of its initial public offering on the Athens Stock Exchange.
The campaign was developed by the Leo Burnett agency and was launched on October 20 on all print and electronic media.
The main slogan, "ETA adds value to EOT," underscores the innovative infrastructure created by EOT in the 1960s and ETA's successful efforts to modernize and exploit this infrastructure in concert with the private sector.
The campaign is built around the testimonials of business executives who have invested in ETA properties such as beaches, marinas, and hotels.

Domestic traffic up at Kavala airport
Domestic passenger arrivals at Kavala's Megas Alexandros (Alexander the Great) Airport rose in the first eight months of the year, while passenger departures from the same airport rose too by 13.5 percent.
Official data said that 45,619 passengers used the Kavala airport in the period January to August 2003 compared to 38,871 in the same period of the previous years. Departures in the first eight months of 2003 totaled 45,037 passengers compared to 39,679 in the same period of 2002.
But international traffic dropped by 5.2 percent in year-on-year comparisons for the same period. Aircraft landings from international destinations also declined from 1,459 in the first eight months of 2002 to 1,316 in the same period of this year. Most foreign arrivals were from Germany, the U.K. the Netherlands, Denmark, and the Czech Republic.
Transit passenger traffic rose by 6.5 percent, from 11,118 in January-August 2002 to 11,850 in January-August 2003.
Overall, domestic and international passenger traffic rose from 276,067 in the first eight months of 2002 to 278,258 in the same period of 2003.

Chinese delegation visits Crete
China's ambassador to Athens, Tang Zhengi, visited Crete this summer at the head of five-member delegation that toured the island as part of a program initiated by the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT).

Occupancy rates fluctuate in August
Occupancy rates for hotels in greater Athens fell for Luxury in August but rose for A, B and C Class establishments compared to occupancy rates during the same month of 2002.
According to data compiled by the Attica Hoteliers Association (EXA), occupancy rates for Luxury Class hotels slid from 46.29 percent in August 2002 to 38.01 percent in August 2003. Occupancy rates for A Class hotels rose slightly from 62.66 in August 2002 to 63.85 percent in August 2003. Year-on-year increases for August were more noticeable for B and C Class hotels, rising from 57.15 percent to 64.50 percent and from 35.24 percent to 39.97 percent respectively.

Skiathos hoteliers elect representatives
Pandelis Kasidokostas was re-elected president of the Skiathos Hoteliers Association.
Serving on the board with Kasidokostas are: Y.Vastardis, vice president; Y. Kyparisos, general secretary; B. Alatzas, treasurer; And members H. Andrikopoulos and N. Hatzimihalis.

Kiriacoulis Maritime launches Aegina route
Kiriacoulis Maritime, a subsidiary of Kiriacoulis Mediterranean Cruises, will launch a new sea link between the port of Piraeus and the island of Aegina, the company said in a statement.
It said the route would be served by hydrofoils and launched in November. The route will operate for at least a year, that is, through the end of October 2004. Sixteen sailings daily are planned.
The company's hydrofoil fleet had been deployed in the Dodecanese, providing links between 10 islands.

Government mulls changes in tourism subsidies
The Development Ministry is considering changing its subsidy program for tourism enterprises and may extend the deadline for submissions.
"I know there have been problems with the 3.000-euro per room subsidy program and we have already concluded, after discussions with the appropriate committee, to adjust some of the conditions in order that it may be truly utilized by a larger percentage [of businesses] as had been projected," Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos told reporters.
According to the ministry, just 27 applications had been submitted.
Tsohatzopoulos said that funds had been earmarked for C Class Hotels and that adjustments were thus being considered that would enable such establishments to participate in the program.
He also hinted that the ministry was considering a waiver of the "saturation status" from areas like Rhodes, Corfu, and Nafplio so that "the institutional and planning regulations that, of course, government specifically selected areas so that they can be developed for tourism."

Travel industry proposes commission agenda
The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) recently published its proposed agenda for the interministerial commission on tourism.
The proposal outlines actions that the industry representatives believe need to be taken in order to bolster the sector.
Specifically, it calls on the Development Ministry to draft a "master plan" for Greek tourism that would outline goals for the sector through 2010. It also proposes that the ministry create a private company to manage tourism advertising and marketing. Devising a new hotel ranking system that is globally recognized and comparable should also be a priority.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the group said, should look for ways to resolve the visa issue, which remains an obstacle for developing new tourism markets such as Russia. It also proposed the creation of a consulate in Shanghai to speed up visa processing.
Regarding the Ministry of Environment and Town Planning, SETE proposed that the developers be allowed to build 30 meters from the shore except in rocky areas where construction could be along the shoreline provided that the ground floor be at least three meters higher than sea level. It said that 30 meters was a reasonable distance and would also allow the development of coastal lots.
SETE also proposed that the Environment Ministry examine changes in the coefficients of public areas in hotels and special tourist facilities aimed at increasing the sector's competitiveness with countries like Portugal, Turkey, and Egypt. It also proposed that the ministry study the prospects of real estate development on hotel tracts as well as sale and lease back financing programs to spur investment.
SETE also proposed several items for the agenda to be considered by the Finance Ministry. These items included changes in the process for conducting audits and inspections, change in fees for using coastal and beachside areas.
The industry representatives said that a priority on the agenda for the Ministry of Culture should be ensuring the uninterrupted operation of archaeological sites and museums, with timely notification of changes in opening hours and hiring of necessary staff.

Kavala Airport acquires own police precinct
The Megas Alexandros (Alexander the Great) International Airport in the northern Greek city of Kavala recently acquired its own police precinct, staffed by 30 officers.
The precinct is housed in a 420-sqm area in the old terminal. Its staff will cooperate with and support the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Public Order.

Galileo Hellas SA innovative web system
Travel agents will be able to access special negotiated fares included in Galileo's 360 fares database through an innovative, web-based booking tool introduced by Galileo Hellas.
The Agency Private Fares system has a search feature that allows travel agents to look for destination zone as well as cooperating agencies whose rates may not have been entered into the system yet. The program supports adult, child, youth, infant, seaman, and senior citizen fares as well as complicated bookings that include multi-carrier, multi-class, code share, and stopover restrictions as well as net and selling level prices.
With its new tool, Galileo Hellas aims at improving services by offering the travel sector the broadest possible coverage.

Minoan announces sale of "Prometheus"
Minoan Lines has announced the sale of its ship "Prometheus" to the Italian company Caronte & Tourist Spa.
The vessel is already leased to the Italian company through January 2004 and is serving the Livorno-Catania line.
Minoan Lines has already received a 10 percent deposit on the sale price. The ship will be officially turned over to its new owners after the lease expires.
The Italian company plans to keep "Prometheus" on its current route. Under the deal, it may route the vessel on any destination except on routes already sailed by Minoan Lines.

From My Notebook. By Connie Soloyanis
*Turkey enjoyed a 20 percent increase in incoming tourism during this summer period, mainly from neighboring countries, with major increases from Greece, Bulgaria, Syria and Germany.
*Due to the ‘slow’ season of incoming tourism to Greece this year, hotel rates are not being raised for 2004---except for the month of August and the Olympic Games. Holidays in Greece are now comparable with such in France and Spain pricewise.
*Accommodation rates for the 2004 Olympics next year have reached as high as 1,400 Euros a day for a family unit.
*Most ridiculous program dreamed up for the Olympics is the so-called ‘charm’ school for taxi drivers.
*Hordes of tourists at the Acropolis of Athens and in adjoining Plaka on some weekends during this past summer gave the false impression to some observers that tourism to Greece was booming. The hordes were mostly students and locals.
*Commercial air traffic in the United Kingdom reached an all-time high in August, with a total of 13,700,000 passengers, which also represents a 3.6 percent rise in passenger traffic over August, 2002.
*Tourism to New York City has recovered, tremendously, counting to over 35,000,000 visitors representing economic gross income of some $21 billion in 2002. The city remains the top attraction in the U.S.A. for foreign visitors.
*Iberia, national airline of Spain, achieved its highest passenger load factor in its history, with international passengers, in August, topping 2,500,000.
*Literally millions of hotel room nights are now being booked via Internet, with further increases indicated in the future.
*Reportedly, by ‘playing’ in the Internet field the right way, one may obtain discounts on airline flights as high as 40 percent.
*New trend in commercial air travel within the U.S.A. is for passengers to carry their own meals on board. This is due to the expansion of no-frills service and general downgrading of service on board offered by airlines.
*More quietly operated aircraft in the future have been declared to be critical to avoid increasing problems with communities near commercial airports.
*Other aircraft improvements envisioned in the future is to have them take off and land (possibly vertically) without runways.
*Travel and tourism remain as the world’s largest industry, with the greatest employment and turnover income.
*At present there are some 8,000 hotels in Greece with accommodations for over 600,000 people, plus an additional private rooms for another 500,000 people, according to a recent survey.
*If nothing else, locally, the top tourist (HNTO) officials are traveling, traveling, and traveling just about everywhere.
*Three cheers for the Paris police starting a campaign to silence noisy motorcyclists. Some advocate a ‘shooting season’ for such offenders.
*Wisdom Department:
Garlic is highly recommended to avoid colds. Eat it and everybody who has a cold will stay away from you.
Diet is the penalty for exceeding the feed limit.
When a person goes on a diet the first thing he loses is his temper.