Greece’s capital city Athens is among the top destinations in Europe that offered the best value for money during the month of June, according to a new study released last week.

Conducted by Mabrian, a leading tourism intelligence company, the study analyzed air connectivity, the average hotel price, and the levels of satisfaction and perception of visitors.

With regard to air connectivity, Mabrian looked at the number of seats on scheduled flights and the number of cities and countries with which each destination has a direct connection.

The analysis of visitor satisfaction is part of the Mabrian indices that measure the level of satisfaction and perception that visitors have with destinations in general and regarding the most relevant areas such as security, climate, accommodation, and the tourism product offer.

According to the study, the destination that offered the best value for money during the month of June was Zagreb, located in northwestern Croatia. Despite being among the last in terms of air connectivity, it has a very high level of satisfaction in most of the areas analyzed.

In second place was Athens, Greece, which is better connected than Zagreb but with a slightly higher average price and lower satisfaction levels than the Croatian city.

Large European capitals drop positions

London and Paris, despite being better connected, are penalized by a very high average hotel price among the destinations analyzed. In addition, the two capitals showed lower levels of satisfaction. Visitors are particularly dissatisfied with the hotel service in London and with the offer of tourist products in Paris.

Other big tourist cities such as Berlin, Barcelona and Amsterdam are at the bottom of the list for their high hotel prices and for the level of satisfaction, which remains low.

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The Hotel Grande Bretagne has been included, one more time, on the top of the World’s Best List of the well-known Travel + Leisure magazine. The King George Hotel is also an honoree for the first time. 

 

Every year, Travel + Leisure asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe and share their opinions on the top hotels, destinations, cruise ships, airlines and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value and as a result, Hotel Grande Bretagne was ranked as the best hotel in Athens while King George was placed third.  

Readers praised the hotels’ beauty, location and restaurants while T+L specifically mentions, “to stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne is to sleep inside a small piece of Athens's history”.

 

Having received these important distinctions, Hotels Grande Bretagne and King George are committed to continue delivering exceptional, indigenous experiences for their guests. Both Hotels have the best location in the heart of Athens with spectacular views to the Acropolis and set a significant example in the international hotel industry, offering exceptional services and memorable experiences.

Athens airport has been crowned the ultimate best in Europe according to rankings from user review ratings on Google compiled by Holidu, a British search engine for holiday rentals.

Being Greece’s main and largest airport, the Eleftherios Venizelos – Athens International Airport scored a whopping 4.4 stars out of 5 from 24,467 reviews.

The ratings placed the airport in top position outcompeting Zürich Airport -Switzerland, Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport – Portugal, Alicante International Airport – Spain, and Malta International Airport in second to fifth positions, respectively.

What is outstanding about Athens Airport?

Located thirty-three kilometers away from the city center, Athens International Airport according to user ratings, “has so much to offer its travelers” revealed Holidu.

In case of a layover, passengers at Athens Airport “can enjoy baggage storage options, airport lounges, archaeological artifacts exhibitions, and a wide selection of restaurants and cafes,” Holidu said.

The airport also offers a conducive play area for children and a health and wellness center, which make makes it outstanding for travelers in Europe.

The above qualities crown the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport the European aviation giant base for many travelers.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com

Kolokotroni Street, with its neoclassical architecture, boutique shops, and eateries, has been ranked by Time Out magazine as one of the "coolest" streets on the planet.

A street in the center of Athens has won a place on Time Out’s new list of the coolest streets in the world.

Kolokotroni Street was ranked 12th on the list, due to its shops and restaurants.

“Start at Kolokotroni Square and look inside the National Historical Museum (once the Parliament building), then wander slowly towards Aeolou Street, admiring the neoclassical architecture as you go. Stop for a Greek salad, a burger, or Indian-influenced souvlaki, sip ouzo or a Freddo Cappuccino, then head to some of the merchants selling sandals, books, clothing, art, jewelry and vintage watches,” suggests Time Out.

Additionally, the article recommends its readers to stay at Gatsby Athens, a fun, playful hotel with terrazzo tiles, faux plants, and a guests-only rooftop bar. “Press the lion-shaped button in your room for a (good!) surprise,” it writes.

To read this article in full, please visit: greece-is.com

Annually, 3.6% of the global population is on the move to a destination that offers better work-life balance, a higher quality of living, and more overall possibilities to lead a balanced and fulfilled life (see stats here).

 

A number of businesses have been created to capture the needs of this growing market, and some have been successful in finding satisfying solutions. MoveNation is one such company - they've created a search engine for country relocation that helps users find retirement destinations. This year Athens made their list of recommended destinations together with cities like Alicante, Bilbao, Phuket, and many other cities around the world.

 

The criteria by which the destinations recommended are selected include: quality of life, the possibility of making investments, safety, cost of living, the level of English spoken, hospitality, and many others.

According to MoveNation, Athens is a fantastic destination for relocation. The city has so many things to offer, from the ancient ruins of the Acropolis to the bustling nightlife and restaurants. Athens is also a thriving economic hub with a large number of international companies operating within its borders. It's also an ideal place for ex-pats looking to settle down with their families as it has an excellent education system and plenty of green spaces for children to enjoy.

The platform uses information from Trip Advisor, Google Reviews, and Yelp to recommend the best museums, restaurants, and tourist attractions from each city in order to offer a  complete picture of what the new city has to offer.

 

MoveNation was launched in 2021, in Denmark, and is supported by Antler, a venture capital fund with investor Eduardo Saverin (ex-Facebook co-founder). The company aims to help a million people move to a new country and to make it happen by reconfiguring the way societies are built.

 

Degrees from four prominent Greek universities are considered among the strongest in the world labor market, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) Graduate Employability Rankings for 2022.

The National Technical University of Athens occupies positions 201-250, the Athens University of Economics and Business and the University of Athens rank 301-500, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is 501+.

In the report, data was initially collected for 758 universities, from which, after evaluation, a list of 550 emerged. The rating of each university results from five indicators: reputation among employers (weighting 30% of the total score), results from graduates (25%), collaborations with employers by department (25%), the ratio of employers to students (10%), and graduate employment rate (10%).

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

Greece has not stopped breaking one record after another in recent years - from tourism to important economic indicators that testify to the enormous dynamics that the country has developed in recent years, and this time, Athens has been listed as a Top 10 most beautiful city.

"World of Statistics" ranked the Greek capital as among the ten most beautiful cities in the world.

More specifically, Athens is in sixth place, with a rate of 77.5%, and right behind the Italian cities of Venice and Rome, as well as Barcelona, ​​Prague, and New York. The top ten is completed with Budapest, Vienna, Bordeaux, and Milan.

And while this victory of Athens may seem quite insignificant when compared to economic and social indicators, it can have a decisive effect on important sectors, such as tourism, and therefore the economy, work, and innovation.

The records in tourist arrivals this summer from every corner of the planet confirm that the ancient city is in the eyes of many the most beautiful city, hence their decision to spend the most carefree period of the year in this unique city.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekcitytimes.com

 

 

 

 

 
@the_clumsies

 

 

It is worth mentioning that the No.1 on the list for two consecutive years, the London Connaught Bar, was in 8th place. Just like last year, London's Tayēr + Elementary took second place. 

 

Three bars from Barcelona were in the top 10 of this year's list of the 50 best bars in the world. A total of four bars from Spain made the top 50, while Italy also managed a strong showing, with four Italian bars making the list. The list is the result of the votes of 650 bartenders and bar owners, taste journalists, and cocktail experts.

Originally published in Greek on: olivemagazine.gr

Translated by: Codico Lab

Main image: @line.athens

The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) aims to smack two flies with one poster: attract retirees and prolong the tourist season.

As part of a 20-million-euro campaign to advertise Greece abroad, starting next week, posters with an older couple cheekily feeding each other watermelon and enjoying wine onboard a yacht, featuring the question “Wanna feel 20 again?” will appear in several European capitals.

It’s not just a reference to feeling young again; it’s referring to temperature. The idea of promoting Greece to retirees is part of the country’s plan for prolonging its tourist season, inspired by the current energy crisis. It’s based on the idea that hotels stay open and host northern Europeans who might be motivated by the much lower heating costs in the mild climate, as well as the lower cost of living in general. Below the question on the poster is the explanation: “With warm winter temperatures up to 20°C, Greece is the place to be.”

Speaking to the Guardian’s Observer, Greek tourism minister Vasilis Kikilias described part of the plan, saying that “there will be clusters connected by direct flights with hotels and restaurants that are prepared to stay open,” and explaining that “it might be less costly to turn off the heat back home and come here.”

Over the last month, the magazine also noted, the minister has visited Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and Stockholm, talking with pension fund managers, tour operators, and airlines, and spreading the word that Greece is “open” year-round. Among the Greek destinations to be promoted are Athens, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Kos, and Crete – places with good medical care.

Worth noting is that while the new GNTO campaign aims to reap some momentum from the energy crisis, northern European retirees have long shown interest in Greece. In January, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that more and more German retirees were looking to move abroad, and called Greece the “Florida of Europe.” Meanwhile, Swedish retirement homes have been taking elders on trips to Greece for over a decade. Previous attempts by the Greek government to bring retirees to Greece permanently have included generous tax incentives.

To read this article in full, please visit: greece-is.com

Greece ranks 6th in the World’s Most Popular Places for Destination Weddings list, according to Google search data analysis recently published by money.co.uk, an online financial product comparison service.

By analyzing Google search data from the last 12 months for ‘wedding in + [destination]’ in nearly every country around the world, experts at money.co.uk discovered that Greece was the most googled wedding destination in Armenia, Brazil, England, Hungary, South Africa, and Wales.

The country ranked 3rd most popular destination to tie the knot in Europe and came in 5th place among South Americans wanting to get married.

The most popular country that the world is googling to get married in is India, as it takes the top spot for 38 countries around the globe including Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the US.

The second-most popular place for a wedding destination is Italy, with 28 countries choosing it as their top nuptial haven including France, Greece, and Sweden.

Wedding destinations sum up approximately $16 billion in annual spending of visitors according to Ampers and Travel while 2022 is set to be the biggest year for weddings since the 80s, the Wedding Academy International says.

To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr