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The Institute of Tourism Research and Forecasts (ITEP) proposed in Tuesday a series of measures to lengthen the Greek tourism season.Among ITEP’s proposals were local deals with tourism professionals coordinated by the Tourism Ministry, a reduction in third-party levies on hotel rates and tax exemptions to tourism businesses involved in season extension programs.The ITEP report presented yesterday showed that the islands of the Ionian and the Southern Aegean, as well as Crete, have the shortest tourism season in the country.
TUI to trial extended summer season for GreeceTUI Travel is hoping to trial an extended summer season to Greece for 2015 by starting to sell earlier departures.The tour operator said that plans between the Greek Government and their Greek partners were still to be agreed.Peter Long, chief executive of TUI Travel PLC... told the Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, that the company aimed for the growth in passenger numbers for 2015 to be similar to this year, which was 10%.In return he asked for a greater link between local producers and hotels to help boost local economic spend and increase customer satisfaction and to encourage development in the smaller Greek islands.He also called for improvements to the infrastructure for regional airports, roads, cruise ports and marinas and for Greece to invest in its people with modern tourism education.
Greece's biggest challenge in tourism for 2015 will be to extend the holiday season to twelve months a year and increase investments in the sector, the country's Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said.
The shortened season was the result of relatively decisions made by tour companies, particularly TUI and Thomas Cook.
The season could run 12 months if the government and others thought beyond the standard sun, sea, sex and booze packages. After all, when Byron toured Greece he waited until the summer was over because in those days only an idiot travelled through Greece in the summer.
Some sensible thoughts. But why would the "worker" (not the employer) work outside the 6 month "summer" when they can get the 6 month "winter" on benefit?
No just some of the workers I know here. Of course many of the "workers" I know here aren't actually "working". Trust me, I know my facts!
I doubt if Kef would be a winter resort but it certainly could be a 1/5 to 31/10 resort.
I don't think it could be - it shouldbe a six month season, like it always used to be but we are unfortunately governed by the tour operators. If only easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair seriously reduced their fares either end of the season then more people would be encouraged to come out independently of the tour operators. That is, of course, the apartment and taverna owners can be bothered to open..
Greece is to use its famous gods, heroes, myths and legends to promote the destination.Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, [said] "“And how many know that Mount Olympus is a real place where they can ski or hike or lots of other things?” Investment is being pumped into integrated hotel and second home resorts and into promoting niche product and “secret Greece.” Kefalogianni also revealed that many regional airports are being improved to accommodate more private jets, after demand outstripped capacity last year. Marinas are also to be improved to increase the yachting sector.Activity on social media and the internet in general is also expected to increase. Kefalogianni said: “We aim to be more interactive and to have more personalised interactions.”
Not the gods again!Greece launches new tourism ‘communications strategy’Hackneyed, corny and stodgy, Greece's 2015 tourism promotional video makes plenty of references to the physical remains of the country’s classical past but deals little with its present, save for a couple of rustic scenes.The video is a far cry from the vibrancy of the New York Times’ recent guide on what to do in 36 hours in Athens, which understandably went viral because it seemed to have been written with attracting real tourists in mind: people who want good food, to know about what museums and sites to visit and to get a taste of contemporary Greek life.If this video is the best that Greece’s tourism agency EOT can come up with, then it only serves to confirm journalist Pavlos Zafiropoulos’ recent point that this is a country of riches led by impoverished minds.
Greece: a country of riches led by impoverished mindsFrom the insane drive to allow large corporations to extract oil and minerals from under Greece as quickly as possible, to the bone-headed move to open the country’s forests and coastline to Spanish-style large scale developments, to tourism policies firmly rooted in the 20th century, Greek government ministers are demonstrating that they are small-minded, frightened technocrats unfit to call themselves leaders. This country is rich but their short-sightedness, if allowed to continue, will lead to its true impoverishment.