3rd Crete Marathon

The 3rd Crete Marathon will be held at the beautiful town of Chania on Sunday 15 of April 2018. 

Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a memorable race in the historic centre of Chania.

Starting from the Old Municipal Market, runners will pass from the old Venetian Harbour and then follow an impressive course by the sea. It is a course of unique beauty which will provide the participants an unforgettable running experience.

Apart from the Marathon Race, the event also includes a 10km run, a 5km run, as well as a 2.5 fun run.

The Event of the 3rd Crete Marathon will be launched on Friday 13 of April with a ceremony of cutting the olive branch "kotinos" from the monumental olive tree of Vouves which will be used for the wreath bestowed upon the Marathon winners, act that constitutes an Olympic Symbol, and on Saturday the 14th a torch relay in memory of Metropolitan Irenaeus Galanakis will take place as well as an Opening Ceremony.

The 3rd Crete Marathon is organized by the Chania Road Runners Health Club and various local authorities. It is held under the auspices of SEGAS and the Hellenic Association of Mass Popular Sports and Ultra Running Clubs and it is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

For more info: www.crete-marathon.gr

15/04/2018 - 15/04/2018

Location: CRETE CHANIAChania

Hours - Comments

Date: 15/04/2018. Place: Chania – Crete. Start. Point: Old Municipal Market of Chania. Start. T.: 08:00 (Marathon Race), 09:00 (10 km Run), 12:00 (5 km Run), 13:00 (2.5km Fun Run).

Germans Flocking to Greek Islands for 2018 Vacations

The island of Crete is the second-most popular island destination for German tourists after Majorca according to a survey by a leading German online platform.

Pre-bookings for 2018 analyzed by Check 24 reveal that five of the 10 most-popular European islands for holidays in the summer of 2018 are Greek.

The most popular Greek island is Crete, with an impressive share of 17.2 percent in European holiday island bookings for this year.

Rhodes follows in fifth place (seven percent), Kos in sixth (6.2 percent) and Corfu with Paxos in eighth (2.8 percent share).

Kos offers exceptional value for money, as compared to last year, as it is cheaper by two percent unlike all other islands where prices are rising.

The largest rise in prices on a Greek island is recorded in Corfu and Paxos and stands at plus-18.4 percent compared to last year.

Majorca remains the most popular island for the Germans with a 32.3 percent share of all bookings for island destinations, despite seeing a six-percent-rise in prices from 2017.
(information from http://www.tornosnews.gr)

“Greece-A365-Day Destination” video wins another award at Berlin International Tourism Fair (video)

The multi-awarded winning video “Greece-A365-Day Destination” received yet another distinction after it was awarded the second world destination prize and the first prize in Europe at the Golden City Gate festival of tourist films in Berlin, in the framework of the ITB International Tourism Fair, where our Greece is attending with a with a GNTO stand.

The film “Greece- A365-Day Destination” was created by GNTO, directed by Antonis Theocharis-Kioukas, for the promotion of Greece as a world-renowned destination 365 days a year.

The 3-minute 36-second video immerses the viewer into the beautiful imagery, colours, and sounds of Greece.
This is the third award in a row award that the GNTO has received in the past six months.

 In 2017, it was voted by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation as the top video for tourist destination for Europe destination among 23 European countries, while it also picked up the second prize for the World Tourism Organisation’s Video Competition in Chengdu, China.

It also received a special prize in the category “Tourist film up to 7 minutes” at the 6th International Festival of Tourist Films in Zagreb, Croatia, “ZagrebTourFilmFestival”, where he was selected among 48 entries from competing countries.

(source:protothema)

Greece 10th force in tourism globally, OECD report says

Greece is the 10th largest global force regarding tourism among OECD countries, according to an OECD report titled “Tourism Trends and Policies 2018″.

The reports revealed that 28 million tourists arrived in Greece in 2016, 7.5% more than 2015. Overnight stays amounted to 193.4 million, 2.9% more than in 2015, while the number of cruise passengers remained steady at 5.1 million.

According to the report, the gross added value of tourism in Greece in 2016 amounted to 9.6 billion euros, representing 6.4% of the national gross value added and supporting 366.000 jobs, ie 1 in 10 jobs in Greece.

In terms of direct contribution of tourism to the each country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the rate in Greece exceeded the average OECD average (4.2%), while its contribution to employment in Greece is projected to reach 10%, which is the fourth best performance in all countries, after Iceland, Spain and Ireland, with an average of 7%.

The hospitality industry provided work to 365,892 employees, the food sector 72,238 positions, the transport sector 261,484, in the rental of vehicles 3,921 and in the tourist offices and the travel booking industry 20,872.

The budget of the Ministry of Tourism in 2016 amounted to 49 million euros, of which 26 million derived from the regular budget (EUR 10 million from state resources) for promotional activities and 13 million from European co-financing for infrastructure, innovation, projects, skills and support by media.

(source:protothema)