88 Posts in Tourism

With 2 extra gallery talks for its visitors “Walking in the ancient neighborhood of the Acropolis Museum”.     Visitors will have the opportunity to walk through the archaeological excavation with the Museum’s archaeologists and take a magical stroll through time, history and the daily life of the people who lived by the shadow of the Acropolis’ rock for over 4.500 years. Information: Saturday 27/5: 11 a.m. in English and 1 p.m. in Greek Sunday 28/5: 10:30 a.m. in English and 12:30 p.m. in Greek Duration: 60 minutes Participation: These extra gallery talks are offered free of charge and a free admission ticket is required from the Museum Ticket Desk (limited to 20 visitors per session). For your participation, please register online at events.theacropolismuseum.gr.  

The deal was signed by Belt Riviera SA - a company established by Temes SA and Hellinikon SMSA -  with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.   Apart from a 5-star hotel with 123 rooms and suites scheduled to open in the summer of 2027, the agreement includes plans for 17 luxury branded residences on the so-called Athens riviera near the Agios Kosmas marina, overlooking the Saronic Gulf. Commenting, Lamda Development CEO Odisseas Athanasiou noted that, "this new high-standard hotel complex will become another aesthetically superior landmark and serve as an additional international point of reference for this emblematic investment of The Ellinikon." Mandarin Oriental Athens will be the Group’s second property to launch in Greece, following its Costa Navarino investment.

More specifically, its visitors are estimated at over 15 million per year and among them are tourists from all over the world, as well as Greeks who either live in Attica or visit Athens for business or leisure.         The change of the Presidential Guard at the monument takes place every hour.

In a statement, the ministry said that all museums and sites will follow the official summer schedule on that day as listed on their site (see link below), with the following exceptions:   In Athens: Acropolis & slopes, the Ancient Agora, Areopagus Hill, Stoa of Attalus Museum, the Roman Agora, and Hadrian's Library will be open 08:00-17:00. The Kerameikos Cemetery and Museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Lycaeum of Aristotle will be open 08:00-15:00. In Achaia (W. Peloponnese), the Archaeological Museum of Patras will be open 08:00-15:30. In Viotia (Boeotia), the Archaeological Museum of Thebes will be open 08:00-14:00. In Preveza (NW Greece), the Archaeological site and Museum of Nicopolis will be open 08:00-15:00. In Chalkidiki peninsula (N. Greece), the Basilica of Sophronius will be open 09:30-15:30, while the Tower of Galatista and the Tower of Ouranopolis (Prosphorion) will be open 08:30-14:00. Please note that the following sites will be shut down on May 21: The archaeological site of the Megalopolis Theater and the archaeological site of Mantineia (both in Arcadia, Central Peloponnese), and the Castle of Methoni (SW Peloponnese).   (The English-language site of the ministry with all open hours in Greek sites and museums can be accessed through a download from https://www.culture.gov.gr/en/service/SitePages/view.aspx?iiD=2710.)  

The presentation of the campaign was held on Thursday at the GNTO’s press hall in the presence of Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, GNTO President Angela Gerekou, GNTO Secretary-General Dimitris Fragakis and representatives from Greece’s tourism sector in the context of the assessment of the organization’s work in the 2019-2023 period. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/PlCPx9yETCo

Named 'Cosmote Chronos', the application combines the capabilities of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with the signal strength of 5G networks to present scientifically documented recreations of the Acropolis. These include the Parthenon, the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia and the Chalkotheke (housing metal votive offerings), of which the latter two have not survived. The application also includes the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the monuments of the southern slope of the Acropolis, viewed from the Acropolis Museum. It also presents emblematic pieces exhibited on the Museum's 3rd floor, where the Parthenon sculptures are displayed. The application can be used live in a point-and-view manner when visiting the site, or at home. Speaking about the app, Culture & Sports Minister Lina Mendoni said that accessibility to the Acropolis "now extends to the digital realm, as real or virtual visitors anywhere in the world can share into this historical knowledge." Digital technologies "can be catalytic to the preservation and promotion of our rich cultural heritage at a global level," noted Cosmote CEO Michalis Tsamaz. Cosmote is Greece's main telecommunications provider and co-creator company of the app. The app is available free of charge, in both Greek and English, for Android and iOS in the relevant app stores.

The results were announced on Wednesday by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPP), Greece's operator of the Blue Flag international program. Notably, with 617 award-winning beaches, Greece once again ranks 2nd among 52 countries worldwide.

In Athens, demonstrations are planned at 11:00 in Syntagma Square and at the same time in Piraeus at Pasalimani.  In Thessaloniki, demonstrations are planned at the Statue of Eleftherios Venizelos at 11:00  Additional demonstrations are expected to take place throughout Greece during the day. The following strikes are scheduled for Monday, May 1, 2023 (12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.), unless otherwise noted: Ferry and boat employees will be on a 24-hour strike. The National Railway will be on a 24-hour strike. The Attica/Peloponnese Suburban Railway will be on a 24-hour strike. Trolleys will operate only from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Buses will operate only from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Other organizations may decide to join the transportation strike for May 1, 2023, without warning.  Please monitor www.apergia.gr and local media for last minute strike notifications.    Actions to Take: Review your travel plans. Contact your airline or travel company for assistance. Avoid the areas of the demonstrations. Exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests. Monitor local media for updates. Keep a low profile.      Assistance: U.S. Embassy Athens +(30) 210-721-2951 AthensAmericanCitizenServices@state.gov https://gr.usembassy.gov   U.S. Consulate General Thessaloniki +(30) 2310-376-300   State Department – Consular Affairs (888) 407-4747 or (202) 501-4444

The day is celebrated with a feast is called "Protomagia" (def. "first day of May"). It is an urban holiday when people traditionally visit to the countryside to enjoy a picnic. It is also a day when large demonstrations are organized by the left political parties. Similar to the American "Labor Day", it is a day off for everyone. Notably, in Greek mythology, the goddess of the harvest, Demeter, after the abduction of her daughter by Hades, the god of the underworld, deeply in sorrow and blinded by her anger for losing her precious daughter, all of the plants stopped growing, the flowers withered and died, and the land became desolate. While her daughter was with Hades, in the underworld, it was Fall and Winter on earth. And when Persephone returned, it became Spring and Summer. Therefore, along with the flowering of Mother Nature, where wildflowers cover hillsides, Greek families take picnics in the countryside to celebrate and to enjoy nature itself. After the collection of the flowers, people traditionally hang wreaths out on their doors to make the entrance of the home even more colorful and happy looking.

The move, unanimously approved by the country’s powerful Central Archaeological Council, will relax current rules which only allow guide dogs for disabled visitors into archaeological sites. The ministry did not specify when the new regulations would be implemented. The decision is “a first, but important, step toward harmonizing the framework of accessibility to monuments and archaeological sites with the standards of other European countries, where entry rules for pets already apply,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a ministry press release. The council approved the entry of pets provided they are kept on a leash no more than one meter (3 feet) long, or carried by their owners in a pouch or a pet carrying case. Owners will also need to show their pet’s health certificate and carry the necessary accessories to pick up their animal’s droppings in order to be allowed entry, the ministry said. Larger dogs will have to be muzzled. But some of the most popular archaeological sites, such as the Acropolis of Athens, Knossos in Crete, Ancient Olympia or Delphi, which tend to get very crowded, will still remain pet-free, as will ancient theaters, temples, graves and monuments with mosaic floors. Cages will be installed at the entrances of more than 110 other archaeological sites, the ministry said, so owners can park their pets during their visit. Tourism is one of Greece’s main industries, generating billions of euros in revenue each year.

The file will be submitted by the ministry in September for evaluation and comments by the competent UNESCO committee. The nomination will be officially submitted in January 2024. Ministry sources said that each of Crete’s archaeological sites had its own challenges for inclusion. The most demanding was the surrounding area of Knossos. To improve the site’s image, some interventions are planned, such as enlarging the parking area and access for wheelchair users.

According to Retsos, there was optimism that revenues from tourism could reach 18.2 billion euros in 2023, exceeding the record revenues in 2019, something that would start to become apparent over the course of the year. "Greece is capitalising on the very strong brand it has built during the pandemic," Retsos said, noting that it was the only Mediterranean country that opened its borders with complete success in 2020, showing that it could handle a serious crisis and becoming an example for other destinations to follow. The reputation for safety that Greece built at that time still follows the tourism sector at present, he said. A key decision taken at that time, he noted, was the decision to open the borders to Americans, making Athens Airport a hub for all of Europe. This led to a vote of confidence from Americans, who "have returned to Greece and will not leave for a long time," Retsos told ANA. Asked how Greece can retain its current position as the fifth most recognisable tourism brand worldwide, Retsos noted that tourism activity was cyclical and this must be done with good strategy and organisation, now that Greece was going through its peak phase. He said this would need improvements to infrastructure and waste management, with a number of issues that needed "immediate answers" on specific fronts. He also highlighted the importance of up-to-date promotional tools in order to stay ahead of the competition, where he praised the contribution of SETE's promotional company, Marketing Greece. On the employment problem that has arisen for the tourist industry, with tourist enterprises struggling to find staff, Retsos said this was a huge problem for tourism and other sectors of the economy, and that the shortage of trained staff could have a serious impact on tourism, which was a service industry. He blamed the phenomenon partly on the pandemic lockdown, which pushed workers into other areas of the economy, and also on an economic shift that occurred from 2020 onwards, when previously stagnant sectors of the economy recovered and attracted staff from the largely seasonal tourism sector. Other factors, such as poor working conditions, served to worsen the problem, he added, urging inspections sooner to help address the problem. Regarding pay, he pointed out that minimum pay in tourism was higher than the general minimum wage, while he said it was important to intensify efforts to provide young workers with training in tourism-related skills and also called for tourism to be permitted to import staff, as in agriculture.