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)

Easter cookies (koulouria)

By: Ioanna Stamoulou | 26.03.2018 | Desserts, Greek Classics, Mediterranean Cooking

These traditional Easter cookies (koulouria) are amazing and addictive. Most Greek houses bake their own koulouria during the Easter holidays but the recipe is slightly different from home to home. Very flavorful, airy and crunchy, they are perfect for your coffee or tea break! Enjoy!

Serves: almost 80 cookies Prep. time: 40′ Cooks in: 45′ Ready in: 1:25′

Ingredients
2 Kgr all purpose flour
40g baking powder
700 g good quality butter, in room temperature
400 granulated sugar
8 eggs
16 g mahleb (or mahlab)
1 tsp mastic crushed with 1 tsp sugar
4 oranges, zested
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks beaten with 1-2 tbsp milk, for brushing the cookies
sesame seeds for sprinkling the cookies (optionally)

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven at 180oC/fan. In a large bowl sift flour and baking powder.

Step 2
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat butter with sugar until white and fluffy. Add eggs gradually, waiting to incorporate before adding the next one. Then add mahleb, crushed mastic and orange zest waiting to incorporate. Stop the mixer.

Step 3
Stir in flour and milk, alternating the two ingredients, and mix with your hands until you get a nice, smooth, elastic dough.

Step 4
Line two shallow baking dishes with non-stick baking parchment. Knead in braids or just bring together the two ends to form round cookies with a hole in the middle. Transfer on the dishes. Make sure you leave some space between the cookies.

Step 5
Brush cookies with beaten egg and sesame seed. Bake until nicely colored. Continue with the remaining dough. Cool on wire rack and store in metal box.

Five Greek Nature Initiatives Vying for Natura 2000 Award – Vote Now!

Five Greek nature conservation projects have been shortlisted by the European Commission in the running for the 2018 European Natura 2000 Award.

The Greek Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal (MOm), the Callisto NGO based in Kastoria dedicated to the protection of the brown bear, a cross-border partnership to bring the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) back to Bulgaria where it is currently considered extinct, Life-Stymfalia project aiming to safeguard one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean, and the joint conservation effort to save the migratory Egyptian Vulture are competing for the Natura 2000 Award, which recognizes initiatives working to ensure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats.


Greece is among 25 finalists from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK – selected out of 75 applications from across the EU.

The centerpiece of the EU’s nature and biodiversity policy, the Nature 2000 Network consists of over 27,000 sites which cover almost a fifth of Europe’s land area and a significant part of the surrounding seas, making it the world’s largest coordinated network of conservation areas.

An independent jury will assess the finalists in five categories – Conservation, Socio-Economic Benefits, Communication, Reconciling Interests/Perceptions, and Cross-Border Cooperation and Networking.

The Natura 2000 Award winner will be announced on May 17, in Brussels.

In the meantime, voting is open to the public until April 22, for the winner of the European Citizens’ Award.

Photos: http://natura2000award-application.eu

source:GTP

Greece awarded as ‘top destination with best beaches’ at Moscow International Tourism Fair

Greece was awarded as top destination with the best beaches in Europe by the Moscow International Tourism Fair (MITT) in Russia.

Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura, head of the Greek mission, participated in the official opening ceremony of MITT and received the award from the organisers.

In the context of the exhibition, Kountoura gave a press conference to Russian and international media on Greece’s national tourism and promotion strategy, which is focused on turning the country into a world-renowned tourist destination throughout the year. She referred to the high performance of Greek tourism, the steady rise in the arrivals of Russian tourists, the dynamic emergence of new Greek destinations and thematic tourism packages offered by Greece, as well as bilateral cooperation in the context of the 2017-2018 Greek-Russian Tourism Year.

 Source: thegreekobserver