A recent analysis of Kayak, the popular travel search engine, found that interest in flights to the Greek islands have increased by more than 300 percent from 2015. Crete was the most popular searched for destination with an increase of 345 percent. Corfu was popular as well with an increase of 238 percent in travel searches.

The islands were among Kayak’s Flight Index Top 50 for the most sought-after destinations. The interest was viewed as largely caused by the falling air fares, dropping by 62-67 percent in the past year.

With fares dropping compared to last year, the average price to the 50 most searched for destinations had dropped on average by 22 percent.

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

Greece is currently on a hiring spree for hundreds of teachers to teach refugee children and to help educate the children who will be staying in Greece indefinitely, as other EU countries have closed their borders on the asylum seekers.

According to Save the Children NPO, the average amount of time that refugee children have been out of school is a year and a half. Even before that time period, many children were rarely able to attend classes on a regular basis due to the lack of safe places for education in their home countries. Refugee children would risk their lives to attend school in their home countries and because of the current conditions that migrants have received in the EU, children are still being left behind in the educational system. Some children as old as 10 have never learned how to write their name, let alone hold a pencil. In addition, more than a fifth of refugee children of school age have never stepped foot in a classroom.

In an effort to jump start refugee children’s education, Greece is looking to hire about 800 back-up teachers to meet the needs of the refugee community. Greece’s Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, said “The inclusion of all refugee children in the public school system will begin in September.”

Latest numbers of the refugee crisis hitting Greece puts the number of migrants trapped in Greece at around 57,000 with some one-third of that population being minors under the age of 18, a great majority of them, Syrians.

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

The archaeological site of Philippi in Northern Greece has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which was announced during the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee in Turkey. Philippi’s addition on the World Heritage list brings the total of Greek world heritage sites to 18.

The remains of the walled city lie at the foot of an acropolis in the present-day region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, on the ancient route linking Europe and Asia, via the Egnatia.

Founded in 356 BC by the Macedonian King Philip II, the city developed as a “small Rome” with the establishment of the Roman Empire in the decades following the Battle of Philippi, in 42 BCE. The Hellenistic theatre and funerary heroon (temple) were supplemented with Roman buildings such as the forum. Later the city became a centre of the Christian faith following the visit of the Apostle Paul in 49-50 CE. The remains of its basilicas constitute an exceptional testimony to the early establishment of Christianity.

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

After chartering through an Olympic course that avoids Brazil’s most controversial waters, Greek swimming legend Spiros Gianniotis proved that he had the endurance required, winning the Silver medal for Greece. Gianniotis was just shy of winning Gold, coming in behind Dutch Ferry Weertman by just a few milliseconds. Weertman swam the event in 1 hour 52 minutes and 59.8 seconds. Gianniotis came within a hair’s breadth of winning at 1:52:59.8.

Born in Corfu and half-English, Gianniotis is 35 years old and is a senior veteran of the Greek Swimming Federation. He enjoys a track record of success on the international stage after having won two FINA World Championships in the 10km marathon swim while also being a strong contender in every international competition he has participated in. Having participated in the Olympics for 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2016, he was armed with extra motivation in what was his final opportunity to win an Olympic medal.

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

The traditional dance festival called ‘Diamantis Palaiologos,’ held on Skopelos island this August, won a European award by the EILEEN (Enhancing Intercultural Learning in European Enterprises) project. There were over 600 participants and volunteers this year from Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, and Nepal.

The Festival of Traditional Dances ‘Diamantis Palaiologos’ is a member of European Folklore Festival Association and is organized by Konstantina Angeletou, President of the Plegma, a nonprofit organization, along with the Thessaly Region.

The Greek National Commission to UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, the Greek National Tourism Organisation and the Municipality of Skopelos embrace this big cultural event, putting the Festival under their auspices.

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

‘Swing Away,’ a film about self-discovery and one woman’s love affair with Greece, will be released in November 2016 in select cities throughout the US.

The film focuses on a Greek-American golfer named Zoe, played by Shannon Elizabeth, who has become disillusioned with her life in the US following a very public meltdown and decides to travel back to Greece to visit her family and figure out a new direction. Her decision is inspired by famous Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, whose philosophy of ‘hope for nothing, fear nothing’ is infused throughout the movie.

‘Swing Away’ is one of the few non-Greek language movies to be shot, edited, and post-produced within Greece, partly in order to more effectively tell the story, in which the country plays such a central part, and partly as a decision of the filmmakers to support the Greek creative community. The film has already picked up praise and accolades, especially when it premiered at the Geena Davis-founded Bentonville Film Festival in May 2016.

Though the Greek-American community will definitely relate to the film’s central message of going back home to find yourself, the movie will surely appeal to a wider audience as well thanks to its tale of change, courage and self-discovery.

To read this article in full, please visit: Tornos News

Watch the trailer!

In a recent poll for the Condé Nast Readers' Travel Awards, Greece was voted the best country in the world! With excellent food, stunning beaches, and amazing hospitality, it’s no wonder that Greece came in at #1!

The Readers' Travel Awards celebrates the best of the best in travel, as voted for by people who love to travel: the readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

To see more of the ‘best of the best’ in travel, please visit: CN Traveller

Foreign investors are placing their bets on Greek tourism with more than 3,200 new rooms in the works.

Experts say new accommodation units, most in the luxury category, as well as the accompanying services, will further boost the tourism sector and help the Greek economy.

Among the projects underway are Miriam Hellas in the Lassithi prefecture of Crete, which will be handled by a Russian-interests consortium. The project is budgeted at 408 million euros and involves the development of 850 acres of land near the popular Elounda area which will include 380 tourist homes, three five-star hotels as well as a marina, shops, wellness centers, restaurants and bars, athletic centers, and recreational parks.

Another is the Arabic-interests RSR Eagle Resort in Karystos, Evia, which will include some 400 tourism residences, hotels, a marina, and a conference center with a budget of 200 million euros.

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

Greece was the recent guest of honour at Moscow’s recent 29th International Book Fair, which took place early September 2016 at Moscow’s largest exhibition center.

 

The Russian Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communication appointed Greece as the Guest of Honour on the occasion of the Joint Year Greece-Russia 2016, while Russia was in turn the Guest of Honour at the 13th International Thessaloniki Book Fair in May 2016.

Visitors had the chance to become acquainted with aspects of Greek culture as there were around 600 publications from 50 publishing houses, all representing the scientific and artistic side of Greece spanning from antiquity, the Byzantine era, the Enlightenment, 20th century, and modern day.

Prominent Greek writers and artists went to Moscow to participate in the programme of events, which included 30 events aimed at introducing the modern cultural face of a small country with a great history that maintains deep historical and cultural ties with Russia through literature, cinema, visual arts, and music.

The programme at Moscow’s International Book Fair was developed by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture with the collaboration and support of Cavafy Archive-Onassis Foundation, the State Museum of Contemporary Art, the Greek Film Archive, the Greek Film Center, Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, ASIFA HELLAS, Greekanimation.com, Greek IBBY, the Embassy of Greece to the Russian Federation, as well as with the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

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