Marketing Greece’s digital platform Blogtrotters, whose concept this year is ‘Travel in Balance’, has dedicated 2017 to the promotion of sustainable tourism development, with the aim of highlighting real-life examples.

This year, the Blogtrotters will tell stories of successful sustainable tourism practices in Greece, in support of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) designation of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

The digital influencers will communicate their stories through blog posts, vlogs and social media posts across the web. The impact of the influencers’ content on their followers will be measured via a unique digital Sustainability Footprint that comprises the storytelling, resultant coverage and sharing of the content among the general public.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

A pedestrian walkway across Zea Marina in Piraeus is set to offer archaeology lovers a seaside stroll through time as it aims to connect wall fortifications, towers and ancient harbor finds.

The Culture Ministry has tabled a plan which has already received the approval of the Central Archaeological Council to establish a historic route that will highlight the port city’s ancient history and landmarks.

The walkway, which will include the Hellenic Maritime Museum, will bring all the main sites, findings, buildings, cisterns and parts of the famous Kononeio Wall together through wooden ramps, bridges and constructions aiming to offer visitors insight into the port city’s vast history.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

'Little Island’ is a documentary about the story of a man who left everything behind to live on a small Greek island south of Crete for the past 40 years.

Despite the fact the first years were difficult, the man finally blended with the environment and managed to make a life worth living.

‘Little Island’ by Angeles Psomopoulos and Alex Vilaras was nominated in the 2016 Los Angeles Short Film Festival and mesmerizes its audiences with its simple beauty.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

In recent years, microbreweries throughout Greece have been producing beers that come with their own Greek stamp of authenticity. From Argos, Messinia, Patras, Evia, Serres and Komotini to Crete, Santorini, Tinos, Chios, Corfu, Kefalonia, Rhodes and Piraeus, microbreweries are on the rise, creating distinctive, unpasteurized, unfiltered, aromatic beers, expanding production, raising new capital and trying to satisfy international demand as local interest in their beers also grows.

The competitive advantage of Greek microbreweries is the high quality of the tasty beers from unique recipes, achieved on account of the production of small quantities so as to enhance the flavour, the aromas and the nutritional value of the beer. They also produce organic beers using local honey and grains, just as they did thousands of years ago. Microbreweries apply environmentally-friendly processes which minimize the ecological impact and support the community through local employment practices, as well as the local economy by sourcing materials and services.

Greek brewers – once professors, pharmacists, chemists, enologists – decided to devote themselves to experimenting with beer. Their allies: the mild Greek climate, the natural fresh water springs, hops and grains, together with other ingredients used to make their beer taste good, such as pure aromatic Greek honey, citrus, spices and flowers. The first Greek microbrewery began in 1997, and today at least 20 more are operating in some of the most beautiful destinations in Greece.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda

The news and lifestyle source, The Guardian, shared their top picks for the new museum openings in 2017 and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in Athens is recognized on their list!

‘The reconstruction of EMST has been quite a tale, with over a decade financial and bureaucratic setbacks. Still, in October 2016 it was finally ready for a soft launch, inaugurating the temporary exhibition space with the show Urgent Conversations: Athens–Antwerp in its newly reconstructed home in the old Fix brewery. The permanent collection is pegged to be unveiled in autumn 2017, when the museum is expected to finally open in its entirety.’

Other top new museum openings include the Institue of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Design Society in China, and the Museum Barberini in Germany.

To read this article in full, please visit: The Guardian

Emirates is expected to successfully fill a gap and undertake an important role in the Greek market. On Monday, the airline announced that it will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Newark Liberty International Airport, via Athens, starting on March 12, 2017.

Emirates’ new Dubai-Athens-Newark flight will provide a year-round non-stop daily service between the United States and Greece.

Emirates flight EK209 will depart Dubai at 10:50 local time, arriving in Athens at 14:25 before departing again at 16:40 and arriving into Newark at 22:00 on the same day. The return flight EK210 will depart Newark at 23:45 local time, arriving in Athens the next day at 15:05. EK210 will depart once again from Athens at 17:10 bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 23:50.

According to Athens International Airport studies and surveys, the substantial indirect traffic flows between Athens and US exceed 570,000 passengers annually, while only last summer (2016) the direct passenger volumes to NYC (seasonal services) grew by 52 percent, reaching 156,000 passengers. Thus, the ATH-NYC market size represents a unique opportunity within Europe for year round services development to US.

The United States is also home to the largest overseas Greek community in the world, numbering approximately 1.3 million, and the New York City metropolitan area has the largest community of Greek Americans in the country.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

Athens made the list of candidates ~ Vote HERE from the 20th of January until the 10th of February!

 

For the eighth consecutive year you will be the ones to determine the ranking of the most trendy European destinations to visit in 2017. Your votes, coming from everywhere in the world, will be decisive during these three weeks of competition.

 

Which destination will be awarded the title of Best European destination of the year? We have pre-selected 20 incredible destinations that all deserve to win the prestigious title. Discover them and vote for your favourite!

Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, often called the cradle of Western civilization. Visitors will find monuments to ancient history on nearly every path they take. But with interesting neighborhoods, trendy shops and a variety of cafes and tavernas serving that famous Greek cuisine, Athens' attractions are not all rooted in the past.

As a seaside metropolis with a lively outdoor vibe and dozens of picturesque islands beckoning nearby, Athens is more often considered a summer tourist destination than a winter escape. But if you've got more than beaches on your mind, there's plenty of upside to a brief cool visit that avoids the crowds and heat of summer.

The city is easy to get around by bus or metro and most major attractions are within walking distance. Temperatures in January average 50 F (10 C). A few must-see attractions include the Acropolis, Plaka, and Sounion!

To read this article in full, please visit: Yahoo

Athens International Airport ended 2016 on a high note with a record 20.2 million passengers. Passenger numbers rose by a total of 10.7 percent (1.9 million) from the last year.

In December 2016 alone, the airport’s passengers reached 1.35 million, noting a 14.3 percent increase compared to prior-year levels. Domestic travellers rose by 8.3 percent, while international passengers grew strong at 18 percent. Moreover, Greek travellers increased by 19 percent and foreign visitors also presented growth at a 7 percent level.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

The musician CrazyCello performs the Greek song Milo Mou Kokkino! This beautiful video was filmed at Meteora and Trizonia, showcasing ‘Greece at its best.’

 

CrazyCello, also known as Alexandros Botinis, is a cellist who creates ‘interesting, crazy, and funny music videos in Greek landscapes. His main goal…to make you smile!

For more information, please visit CrazyCello's website and Facebook page.