Παρασκευή 27 Φεβρουαρίου 2015

Greece 5th top holiday preference for German tourists in 2015!

The data was announced by DW in an article previewing next month’s influential ITB tourism exhibition in Berlin
German tourists are apparently ignoring whatever political debate over a recent Greek deal with eurozone creditors — as well as Bild’s “yellow sheets” — and looking ahead to the summer, with Greece the fifth favorite destination if judged by pre-bookings.
The data was announced by DW in an article previewing next month’s influential ITB tourism exhibition in Berlin.
“There’s no indication that Germans are less inclined to travel to Greece due to the new political situation there,” according to the president of the German Travel Association (DRV), Norbert Fiebig.
He referred to a 10-percent increase in bookings, compared the same period last year, speaking at a press conference on Thursday.
The same trend is reported by Thomas Cook, which cited a robust number of bookings for the Greek market this summer, while TUI also stressed that politics is not affecting its clients’ preferences, something echoed by DER Touristik.
(source:protothema)

Everything changed... Except the unique Cretan landscape!

The website British Pathé takes us on a trip on 1964′s Crete with a video that include a look at the many attractions on the island of Crete.

"Various shots of tourists water skiing or lying on the beach in swimsuits and eating in restaurants. Various shots of the seashore caves where locals live in the summer. Various shots as they harvest grain, bake bread and weave outside. There are also shots of windmills in the fields and men milking goats.

People play the lyre and dance in a circle. Various shots of the ruined palace at Knossos including the pots, and paintings on the walls. Several more shots of holidaymakers on the beach."


The website British Pathé takes us on a trip on 1964′s Crete with a video - See more at: http://www.ellines.com/en/good-news/12222-spanio-binteo-me-ti-zoi-stin-kriti-to-1964/#sthash.AvCZ0dFQ.dpuf

Διαβάστε περισσότερα: http://www.ellines.com/en/good-news/12222-spanio-binteo-me-ti-zoi-stin-kriti-to-1964/
Copyright © Ellines.com

Πέμπτη 19 Φεβρουαρίου 2015

Greece isn’t just about the islands you know!

Only in Greece, paradise is awaiting!!
See you.. in Greece

Greek Breakfast Aims To Benefit Tourism

Greek Breakfast is becoming a trend. It’s being talked about everywhere, in gastronomy schools, in Greek society, by foreign travel agents!!
 ‘Greek Breakfast’ is growing into the most innovative initiative in gastronomy while serving as a fresh action for the promotion of Greek tourism. At a time when activities in gastronomy serve as strategic choices, we hope to take initiatives to develop and promote other sectors and products of Greece’s primary production to the benefit of Greek society,'' Giorgos Pittas, Hellenic Chamber of Hotels representative, supervisor of “Greek Breakfast” program, said.


Τετάρτη 18 Φεβρουαρίου 2015

ETC: Greece Welcomes Most Arrivals in Southern and Mediterranean Europe in 2014

Greece led growth in Southern and Mediterranean Europe last year with a 22 percent increase in arrivals, the European Travel Commission (ETC) said in its recently released European Tourism 2014 – Trends & Prospects (Q4/2014) report.
According to the quarterly report, Greece’s tourism growth was driven by the recovery of business travel and price convenience.folegandros
Also, the ETC revealed that Greece was the second strongest performer among the 10 ETC members in terms of arrivals growth in Europe last year, after Iceland (24,1 percent).
“The recovery in Greece continues… Hotel data for Athens support the idea that business demand is partly responsible for this performance, reducing the recent reliance on the Greek islands for growth. Greece should continue to grow if its economy grows in 2015 as it did in 2014, however, uncertainty relating to its status within the EU may act as a stumbling block”.
Following Greece, ETC members that reported strong arrivals growth include Latvia (15 percent), Serbia (12 percent), Romania (11 percent) and the Czech Republic (11 percent).

European tourism in 2015

Map of EuropeThe UN agency for tourism, UNWTO, has estimated that the European tourism sector grew by four percent last year, reaching a total of 588 million visits, a 22 million increase compared to 2013. For the fifth consecutive year, international tourism in the region has grown above the 2.4 percent average rate forecast for the period 2010-2025.
According to the ETC, factors that contributed to a successful year include the recovery of major source markets, marketing efforts in promoting travel outside the main season and themed promotional activities. Also, many destinations benefitted from increased travel from Europe’s top markets, such as France, Germany, Italy and the UK.
The ETC said that a number of factors bode well for another positive year in Europe’s tourism sector but that “dark clouds may be gathering over the waters on which European tourism is sailing and slow down its growth”.
For 2015, the ETC expects the European tourism sector to continue at a cruising speed around its long-term annual average growth, forecast at a rate between two and three percent.
(source:gtp)

Δευτέρα 16 Φεβρουαρίου 2015

Greek Tourism Experts Hopeful About 2015

Tourism professionals are optimistic that 2015 will be a fruitful year, expecting even more arrivals to the country compared to last year.
Attributing the positive trend to the implementation of a far-reaching tourism strategy, president of the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers (HHF) Yiannis Retsos told the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels general assembly last week that it is not a random success story but one based on consistency and attention to quality.Photo © Dimitris Stavropoulos
Retsos said the strategy, based on a McKinsey study, involves investments amounting to 3.3 billion euros annually in infrastructure, hotels, marinas, etc. including an increase in the number of hotel beds from 770,000 today to 900,000 in the coming years.
Retsos told the Athens News Agency that in the period 2010-2014, 696 new hotels opened their doors to the public, 73 percent of which moved into the top three categories. According to chamber figures, the number of five star hotels in Greece has tripled since 1990 from 4.8 percent to 14.8 percent in 2014.
According to the general assembly results, bookings from Germany seem to have stopped, compared to a 15 percent rise in bookings from the UK with major losses estimated at approximately 50 percent expected from Ukrainian and Russian markets.
In the meantime, despite the favorable exchange rate, Turkey has upped its efforts and become strongly competitive.
(source:gtp)

Crete: The Apokriés, or Carnival season in Rethymno, Brings Thousands of Tourists...

Since 1914 beautiful Renaissance Rethymnon has been celebrating the carnival with its many humoristic events. A carnival of another era leaving behind its nostalgic aroma of romantic balls and the Rethymnians through laughter and their comical antics paying their tribute to "His Excellence, The King of the Carnival."
The Treasure Hunt, an old custom dating back to when the Carnival of Rethymno began about a century ago, was the reason for the creation of 'teams' in 1990, which would give birth once again to this age-old tradition.
In 1993, the Municipality of Rethymnon decided to help fund this popular event and requested the teams to take on the challenging task of creating and organising the Carnival of Rethymnon, which has become the most popular and famous Carnival of Crete!
 The whole town becomes one big party: for almost a whole month, the city plays host to a succession of fun-filled celebrations, bringing together locals and visitors who participate in this carnival because they love to enjoy every moment of their lives. You will see groups of people sitting together in traditional cafés (kafeneia) drinking “tsikoudiá” (raki), tasting Cretan titbits and thinking up “mantinádes” (folk couplet songs) on the spot.
The Carnival in Rethymno, an institution with a great history, has withstood the test of time and returns each year full of vigour. It is a superb way to raise your spirits, meet new people and experience an event that is pure magic.
 (source:Plakiassuites 
VisitGreece
RethymnoCarnival)

Best places to travel in 2015: Athens, the third best destination in Europe!

20 selected destinations competed for the prestigious title of Best European Destination 2015. After a three-week online voting period, Bordeaux was elected as the Best European Destination 2015 and won this prestigious title.

Lisbon, Athens, Valetta, Riga, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Innsbruck, Milan, Brussels, Vienna, Rome, Barcelone, Istanbul and Madrid were not far behind as far as best destinations for a holiday or city-trip in 2015 were concerned, with Greece coming third!

Athens European Best Destinations - Copyright Greek National Tourism Organisation
Athens is considered the cradle of western civilization. Over the years, a multitude of conquerors occupied Athens, and erected unique, splendid monuments - a rare historical palimpsest, evident everywhere in the city.
 
The contemporary urban scenery of the sprawling city reflects its exciting history, its multi-cultural modern personality as well as the infrastructure and facilities. In other words, Athens is a must destination that combines modern urban innovation with history, culture and natural beauty throughout the year. 

 #Athens..

Straight from the Cretan earth...

CRETEThe metro at Syntagma offers commuters a chance to sample traditional Cretan products from February 16 through to 21. The metro’s conference hall will be filled with kiosks offering Cretan cheese, bread, honey, raki, wine, marathopites and a number of other local products served with a smile.

 CRETAN(source:protothema)

Mediterranean cooking: Beef roll stuffed with kefalograviera cheese and peppers.

Slow-cooked for hours in greaseproof paper and foil for an even better taste
Serves: 6 Preparation time: 20m Cooking time: 3h.20m Ready in: 3h.40m
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Ingredients
½ kg shoulder of beef
200g. kefalograviera cheese, cut into sticks
1 green pepper into strips
1 red pepper, in strips
3-4 cloves of garlic
olive oil
salt, freshly ground pepper
Preparation method
step 1
Ask from the butcher to open the shoulder in a rectangular piece. Mix salt and plenty of pepper in a bowl. Cut the garlic into oblong pieces and dip in salt and pepper.
step 2
With a sharp knife make a few holes in the meat and place pieces of garlic. Spread over the meat on both sides with a little olive oil and season to taste.
step 3
Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Place pieces of cheese and green and red peppers at one end of the meat along. You begin to wrap the meat as roll sealing in the filling ingredients. Continue with the second row of cheese and pepper. Then wrap again. Repeat until you make a complete roller.
step 4
Tie with baking  string and wrap in two baking sheets taking care to cover well and the side edges of the roll. Wrap also in a piece of foil. Put the roll in a tray and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
step 5
Then, lowering the temperature to 150 ° C and continue baking for 3 hours and is ready to serve.

Source: Olive Magazine
 Chef: Ioanna Stamoulou
Photo: Giorgos Drakopoulos
  Food Styling: Tina Webb

Get Greek: Mediterranean diet can reduce risk of stroke, new study shows!

A new study conducted by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center has revealed a correlation between eating traditional Mediterranean foods and a lower risk of ischemic strokes – that is, strokes caused by a lack of oxygen-rich blood in the brain. The study was conducted in order to analyze relationships between dietary habits and various health issues, including heart disease and mental degeneration.
 
Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, a neurologist at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, led a team in examining data acquired from over 104,000 people who took part in the long-term study. The participants were all female teachers from California, with an average age of 52. After adjusting for physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors, the study concluded that women who followed a Mediterranean diet plan had a noticeably lower stroke risk.
The Mediterranean diet that Sherzai recommended mostly consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, poultry, whole grains, and a fair amount of olive oil. It reduces the consumption of sugar, dairy, red meat, and saturated fats. The members of the long-term study were split into five groups depending on how closely they followed the proscribed diet.
Strokes are a primary health concern both in the U.S. and across the globe. Treatments are frequently expensive, and taking preventative diet measures is one of the best ways to insure health. Last year, the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association recommended the Mediterranean diet to reduce the risk of stroke.
However, Sherzai’s findings indicated that one type of stroke cannot be influenced by altering dietary patterns. Hemorrhagic strokes, which constitute 20 percent of all cardiovascular incidents, occur when ruptured blood vessels in the brain lead to internal bleeding, and cannot be prevented by eating habits.
The study’s findings will be presented this year at the American Stroke Association’s annual meeting in Nashville, TN.
(By Katharine Gripp, National Monitor | February 15, 2015)

Τρίτη 10 Φεβρουαρίου 2015

When is the best time to visit Crete?

People who think about visiting Crete often ask: When is the best time to visit Crete?


There are many answers to this question, but for people who want a unique experience of the real life in Crete and Greece, I would suggest them to choose the week of the Greek Orthodox Easter.... 
Plakias Suites
 
Season 2015 Non-refundable Rate for Low Season:

Kleio Suite : (25/03/2015 - 30/04/2015, Two – roomed Suite (2 persons) 65€

Contact us
  Free sun beds loungers and umbrellas on the beach!!
 
We have obtained for our clients a 12% discount (www.alianthos-group.com) and you can pick up your car directly from the airport .


Κυριακή 8 Φεβρουαρίου 2015

On this day: 35 years without the great Nikos Xilouris

Thirty five years later, we honor the Archangel Cretan with lyre, Nikos Xilouris or Psaronikos... born in 1936 in Crete, Anogia, from a family with musical tradition.

Κυριακή 1 Φεβρουαρίου 2015

Crete is the safest family destination!



Crete received the safest destination for families award from the tourist magazine 'Mondo'. 


The island participated in Matka tourism exhibition held in Helsinki, Finland, and impressed visitors with its natural beauty, important monuments, culinary richness and quality hotel infrastructure. 
MATKA is the largest event of the travel trade in Northern Europe.
The Fair was dedicated to foreign and domestic destinations and took place at Messukeskus, Expo and Convention Centre Helsinki from 15 to 18 January 2015. More than 70,000 people visited the exhibition.