Crete voted 4th best destination in the world for 2019: TripAdvisor Travel Awards

Crete was voted as the fourth best destination in the world in 2019, according to the reviews of millions of travelers from all over the world on TripAdvisor Travel Awards.

The winning destinations emerged from an algorithm based on hotel reviews and ratings, restaurants and travellers’ experiences from around the world over the past 12 months.

The methodology involved assessing the quality and volume of reviews in order to highlight destinations that systematically offered the best experience to tourists.
London, Paris, and Rome took the top three spots in the world based on the platform’s visitors.

In terms of best European rankings among other Greek destinations, Crete (4th) was followed by Santorini in the 11th place on the continent, with Rhodes coming in two spots behind in 13th spot.

On the domestic ranking, the top 10 destinations for 2019 were:
1. Crete
2. Santorini
3. Rhodes
4. Corfu
5. Mykonos
6. Athens
7. Zakynthos
8. Cephalonia
9. Kos
10. Naxos

Greece among the 20 safest countries to travel in 2019, report says

Greece was classified as one of the 20 safest countries in the world to travel in 2019, according to IPK International and ITB report, World Travel Monitor, presented on Wednesday at the ITB Convention.

In contrast, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan were considered to be the least safe destinations fr tourists for 2019.

The report estimates that international tourism will perform marginally worse in 2019 due to the slowdown in global economic growth. Overall, global outbound travel is expected to record an increase of 4% this year, with Asia-Pacific remaining the world leader in terms of growth rates (+ 6%).

The corresponding growth in America is expected to reach 5% and in Europe 3%, a slight deceleration compared to 2018.
Holidays in the sun and the sea, as well as city breaks, were the dominant trends in 2018.
City tourism in the period 2017-2018 recorded an explosive rise of 222%, followed by cruises with a 78% rise.

Hoppa.com: Greece in top-4 destinations in the world for 2019

Greece was among the top destinations for 2019, according to online platform hoppa.com.

These destinations were based on booking data in 2019 compared to the corresponding 2018 data.

The revised data on the platform revealed that Greece was the 4th most popular destination for its users, following last year’s record number of tourists (30 million) who visited the country.

Corfu (24%), Rhodes (19%) and Heraklion (18%) are projected to be the top choices for visitors this season.
Rhodes has a 3% increase in reservations, while Heraklion 4% compared to 2018.

The best time to visit Greece, according to hoppa.com, is the period from Spring to the beginning of the summer (April to mid-June) in autumn (from September to mid-October) when the weather remains warm and the crowds are less.

The list of the top-10 destinations worldwide features:
1. Spain
2. Portugal
3. Turkey
4. Greece
5. Malta
6. US
7. Poland
8. Egypt
9. Bulgaria
10. Italy

Greece the most popular destination from Salzburg: TUI Austria

Crete is the first, followed by Rhodes and Kos

Greece has a dominant position as a tourist destination in the Austrian market, according to booking data from TUI Austria for the summer of 2019.

According to TUI Austria CEO Lisa Weddig, Greece continues to be the most popular destination for the tour operator’s customers departing from Salzburg Airport, which offers 6 flights per week (2 to Crete, 1 to Kos, 1 to Rhodes, 1 to Corfu and 1 to Preveza).

Spain, and especially Mallorca, is also in high demand with daily flights from Salzburg, with 3 new connections this year through Eurowings.

Greece is also the first destination for TUI customers who have booked a departure from Salzburg, with Crete being the first, followed by Rhodes and Kos, in the second and third place, respectively, of their top 5 destinations.

Overall, TUI offers 23 weekly flights from Salzburg to Greece, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, and Corsica.
As Mrs. Weddig points out, there is strong growth in the branded hotels and tour operator concepts.
The TUI flight schedule from Austria this summer will be the most extensive of all time for the organisation.
(protothema)

Greece is the 3rd most popular destination for Germans in 2019: Thomas Cook

Greece is the third most popular vacation destination for the summer of 2019 in Germany, after Spain in the top spot, and Turkey which came in second, according to a trends report by tour operator Thomas Cook.

The data showed that Crete would be the most popular location for German visitors, with Thomas Cook adding new destinations to cover rising demand in islands such as Skiathos, Skopelos, and Thasos.

Spain remained the first pick for Germans for one more year, with the Canary and Balearic Islands, and from the mainland, Mallorca being the undisputed winners.

Greece was the second most popular destination for family vacations.
 
Turkey made a strong comeback as a popular holiday destination for the Germans with a share of about 60% in Neckermann Reisen. However, Egypt (70%), Greece (64%) and Bulgaria (63%) are still ahead.
Great demand was also recorded for personalised services in hotels, such as “My Room” and “My Sun Lounger”, while new extra services for the summer of 2019 are the late check-out until the afternoon, offered in 52 hotels in Spain, Greece, and Turkey.
(protothema)

Crete: Pre-bookings by Russian tourists up by 10%

The region of Crete showcased the beauties of the island at the 26th International Tourism Fair Mitt in Moscow 

 According to the office of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) in Russia, pre-reservations for Greece are up by 10%.

Crete’s pavilion at 26th International Tourism Fair Mitt 2019 in Russia stole the show, which is the largest annual tourist event for Eastern Europe.
The three-day exhibition was attended by more than 22,000 people who had the opportunity to learn about Crete through printed material as well as to taste local dishes and to experience Cretan hospitality.

Crete for Russian tourists is a cultural and historical destination 365 days a year and is in line with the GNTO’s “tourism all year round” strategy.
The Region of Crete was represented by Kyriakos Kotsoglou, Deputy Chief of Administration and E-Governance of the Region of Crete, Maria Lavdaki, Regional Officer of Lassithi Tourism and the Regional Unity of Rethymno, Georgios Pantazis, as well as the tourist guide (Russian) Stamatis Patelaros.

The high level of exposure for the pavilion of the Region of Crete demonstrates the rising interest Crete is drawing as one of the most popular destinations for Russian travellers. The Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura, journalists from major international media, representatives of tourist agencies from mainland Greece, etc. visited the kiosk of the Region of Crete.
(protothema)

Region of Crete picks up golden tourism award for its social media presence

The region won in the “Digital & Technology” category 

The administrative region of Crete picked up a Golden Award at the Tourism Awards 2019 at the Foundation of the Hellenic World, in the category “Digital & Technology”.

The prize was awarded for Crete’s strategic presence in social media, its methodical work, and innovative and smart concepts, as expressed via its “Incredible Crete” accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

Michalis Vamiedakis, the region’s appointed advisor received the award on behalf of Crete.
“The integrated campaign of promotion of the Region of Crete in social media has stood out, with the Cretan hospitality, gastronomy, culture, products and especially its people being at the forefront”, he said.

The Tourism Awards were organised by the Hotel & Restaurant of Boussias Communications, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO), and Marketing Greece.