Athens and Crete on ‘Best European Destinations’ List for 2022

 

Athens and Crete are among the 20 Best European Destinations for 2022, ranking 15th and 20th respectively, on the list recently released by the European Best Destinations (EBD).

EBD is a Brussels-based organization aiming to promote culture and tourism in Europe.

In its 13th edition, the online competition organized by EBD invited travelers from all over the globe to vote for their best destination in Europe. 

More than 400 cities competed for the prestigious title, while the winners were determined based on the vote of 528,069 travelers from 182 countries.

Athens

 Over the last 10 years, Athens has repeatedly been ranked among the Best European Destinations. This year, the Greek capital received a total of 5,024 votes.

According to the EBD, Athens is “a youthful city resolutely turned towards the future” with travelers returning time and time again for the Acropolis and the Temple of Poseidon.

The organization also proposes a visit to the Varvakios Agora, the city’s central indoor and outdoor food market; the Monastiraki neighborhood; the National Gardens and Athens’ seaside.

Crete

 Crete holds the secret of longevity, according to the EBD. The island ranks 20th on the EBD list with 1,002 votes.

“This Greek island bathed in sunshine and warm winds is an ideal destination for lovers of wild life but also for farniente and relaxation. Come drink your raki (cretan brandy) while enjoying a typical meal; it is said that the secret of longevity of its inhabitants is its gastronomy,” the organization says.

While on Crete, travelers should visit the historical sites of Petras and Kommos; dive into the warm blue waters of Matala or Falasarna; stay in the legendary city of Heraklion or in the beautiful port cities of Chania and Agios Nikolaos.

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Crete island 2nd in EU and 5th globally in Tripadvisor 2022 popular destinations

 

Tripadvisor released its annual Travelers Choice Awards, a list of the top destinations for 2022 with several Greek destinations included in high spots in different categories, protothema.gr reports.

Most notably, Crete island occupied second place in the list of the most popular destinations in Europe for the current year, while in the corresponding world list, the largest island of our country “landed” in fifth place. Athens and Corfu were included in the list of European destinations. More specifically, the Greek capital ranked 14th in the preferences of tourists planning to travel to Europe in 2022, while the Corfu was in 16th place.

The criteria for highlighting the specific destinations each year are the following: the quality and the number of reviews that have been uploaded for each destination separately in the period from November 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021.

London took top honors for this year, in the European best destinations list, while also ranking second in the world, losing the top spot from Dubai.

In general, Europe is set to have a strong year in tourism for 2022, as Rome, Paris, and Barcelona are in third, fifth, and sixth place, respectively, with Constantinople (Istanbul) in Turkey coming in at fourth.

Greece is 3rd Most Desirable European Destination for Travel in 2022, Says Accor

 

A new study by Accor, a world leading hospitality group, reveals Greece as the third most desirable European destination in 2022 for people surveyed in five key tourism markets, namely the UK, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Russia.

The research forms part of an in-depth Northern Europe Travel Trends Report published by Accor, examining how changes in behaviour post-Covid will change the way people travel, live, work and play in 2022 and beyond.

The study questioned 6,000 people across the aforementioned five countries about their travel preferences and desires. Despite recent setbacks with the Delta and Omicron variants, more than 80 percent plan to travel in 2022.

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What is better than weekends? Greekends* of course! - EOT campaign for City Breaks

 

The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) launched a new advertising campaign on Thursday, touting Greece’s attractions as a city break destination. 

Coining the word ‘Greekend,’ the campaign encourages people to “end your week like a Greek,” ekathimerini.com reports.

In its new spot, EOT promotes Athens and Thessaloniki as ideal destinations for travelers looking for a weekend break, stressing the prevailing good weather conditions and easy flight connections.

 It showcases the offerings tourists can enjoy in Greece’s big cities including the coffee culture, local cuisine, art galleries, shopping destinations, and entertainment venues.

“The Tourism Ministry and EOT are launching the City Break campaign, inviting visitors to discover the well-known and hidden corner of Greek cities,” noted Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias.

“Hotels in our cities, particularly Athens and Thessaloniki, have suffered due to the pandemic. 

This campaign is the first in a series of initiatives we will carry out, inviting visitors to safely enjoy an authentic Greek weekend in our largest cities,” he continued.

“The pandemic has negatively impacted urban tourism. In many cases, disproportionately to our other tourist destinations,” pointed out EOT General Secretary Dimitris Fragkakis, adding that “the Greekend campaign seeks to promote a complete tourist product, one that is equal to other established European weekend destinations.”

The new campaign is scheduled to initially run for two months in 10 countries including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Israel.

Crete and Rhodes among the top choices for German holidaymakers for next summer

 A survey showed that the Germans want to travel even more despite the Covid constraints 

 

Crete and Rhodes are among the top German choices for next summer vacation, according to the booking site HolidayCheck. In addition, one in three has already decided where and when to take a vacation and has made the relevant reservations.

According to a report in Focus magazine, “the Germans’ desire for travel is uninterrupted, despite the widespread Covid-19 travel constraints in effect since spring 2020.”

According to a survey by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 34% of respondents have already booked or are planning a holiday trip within the first half of the year.

In terms of destinations this summer, the HolidayCheck website presented the seven most popular for this year which are Turkey, Urganda, and Safaga in Egypt, Mallorca, Crete, Fuerteventura, Canary and Rhodes.

(protothema)

Crete Sets Up Cluster for Promotion of Local Products, Cuisine

  

Showcasing the products of Crete, promoting the world-famous Cretan diet and uniting the island’s productive forces, are the top priorities of the newly formed cluster “Kriti to Nisi Mou” (Crete: My Island).

Through the promotion of the Cretan diet and healthy eating habits, the new entity hopes to encourage wholesome production practices with a focus on organic products. The ultimate goal is to establish Crete as a frontrunner in organic production and agricultural best practices.

To achieve this, the cluster brings to the table stakeholders from all economic sectors who will exchange knowhow and best practices and work together to create value added for local services and products, which will establish Crete into a model tourist destination. 

“Kriti to Nisi Mou” will also be participating in international networks and organizations in order to gain insight, knowledge and experience while joining the global discussion on agricultural practices that respect the environment.

“We are also seeking with the interconnection of all sectors of the economy – primary, secondary (processing) as well as tourism and food and beverages, to contribute to further growth, while increasing jobs,” the entity said in a statement.

 

“Kriti to Nisi Mou” stakeholders said the primary goal was to showcase and promote a healthy agri-food model based on the island’s food culture, biodiversity and excellent climate, with cultivation practices harmonized with EU requirements.

It also hopes to encourage cooperation through incentives to producers for the production of unique-to-the-island products and to hospitality and food providers who will promote the Cretan diet and products at their restaurants and hotels.

(gtp)

Etihad Airways to Connect Crete with Abu Dhabi in June

 

Etihad Airways recently announced that it will launch a seasonal twice-per-week service to the Greek island of Crete, starting June 15.

The flights are set to be operated on an Airbus A320 aircraft and will connect Abu Dhabi to the island’s city of Heraklion.

“Etihad Airways is delighted to provide travellers with more choice for their summer vacations in 2022,” said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales & Cargo.

The airline will also return to Malaga, Santorini and Zanzibar this summer. All four destinations are set to be operated from mid-June.

“Crete is an ideal summer destination for travellers who are looking for a mix of beach and mountain adventures, and along with the hotspots of Malaga, Santorini and Zanzibar, makes for a perfect addition to Etihad’s summer network.”

The airline will launch its Abu Dhabi-Santorini service as of June 16 with three flights per week on an Airbus A320 aircraft.

(gtp)

Media: Greek tourism on course for a new record in 2022

 

Shortly before the start of the summer season, Greece is preparing to open its tourism this year earlier than ever, with the signs pointing to a double-digit increase in bookings from abroad up to 30% for this summer, protothema.gr reports.

And while it is still too early to calculate this year’s tourism revenue, the €15 billion budget forecast by the financial staff for this year seems, now, rather… conservative – provided, of course, that there will be no new reversal of epidemiological data inside and outside Greece – with Greek tourism having all the dynamics to reach the revenue-record of 18.2 billion euros in 2019.

These encouraging projections are coming at a time when Europe as a whole seems more prepared to attempt, following 2.5 years, a partial return to normalcy by gradually lifting restrictions, not only on travel but also on the daily lives of citizens. The signal that our country is giving off to its potential foreign visitors this year is that the country will be able to open from the beginning of March.

Even though the summer itinerary of the airlines, which carry 7 out of 10 foreign visitors to the country with the rest coming by land, is scheduled to start in the majority of the islands from the end of March or the beginning of April onwards, the fact that our country is signaling it is ready again for the 2022 season, this creates a positive climate abroad in terms of planning and organization.

Greek Parliament Lights Up With the Colors of Ukrainian Flag

 

The building of the Hellenic Parliament in Athens lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag on Saturday evening as a demonstration of solidarity following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“This symbolic initiative expresses both the condemnation of the Russian military invasion in an independent and sovereign country, member of the UN, and our full support to the suffering Ukrainian people,” an announcement said.

Buildings and monuments around the world have been lighting up since Thursday with the colors of the Ukrainian flag to show solidarity.

The fountain of Omonia Square and the building of the Technopolis cultural center in Athens on Friday night also lit up with the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

 (gtp)

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Greece demands COVID-19 tests from all visitors

 ATHENS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Travellers to Greece will need a negative COVID-19 PCR test to enter the country as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The measure will be in effect from Dec. 19 and the tests will need to be no more than 48 hours old.

The Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in 77 countries since it was first identified three weeks ago, fuelling concerns that its large number of mutations will help it spread faster and evade protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines or prior infection.

In Britain, at least one person has died after contracting Omicron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, the first publicly confirmed death globally from the variant.

Reuters