XpatAthens
Monday, 21 July 2025 22:45
Registrations for Santorini Experience 2025 Are Now Open!
10 Years of Santorini Experience – A Decade of Unforgettable Moments
The unparalleled natural beauty of Santorini, its volcanic caldera, Cycladic architecture, and enchanting sunsets compose the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable sporting and tourism event. Santorini Experience returns from 10–12 October 2025, welcoming both professional and amateur athletes from around the globe.
Against the backdrop of scenic alleys, the Caldera, and volcanic landscapes, Santorini Experience 2025 offers a unique sports tourism experience through running races, open-water swimming, and parallel events. The running events include three trail races of 5 km “Aristides Alafouzos” powered by Miele, 10 km powered by SIXT, member of MOTODYNAMICS Group, and 15 km—ideal for participants of all skill levels—featuring breathtaking views and passing through Oia, Imerovigli, and Firostefani. A highlight of the schedule is the open-water swim of 1.5 miles (2.4 km), starting from the Volcano and finishing at Old Port of Fira, organized in cooperation with the Santorini Boatmen’s Association.
In 2025, Santorini Experience celebrates its 10th anniversary, having evolved into one of the most recognized and awarded sports tourism events in Greece and internationally. Launched in 2015 with the aim of putting Santorini on the global sports map, it attracts athletes and visitors year after year. Over the past decade, thousands have raced and swum against the island’s unique volcanic scenery, in routes combining natural beauty, history, and culture. The Caldera trail has been acclaimed as one of the most spectacular running routes in Greece, while the swim from the volcano to Old Port of Fira is often described as “the most beautiful in the world,” leaving participants awestruck. Through this event, Santorini has assumed a new role in global sports tourism—supporting sports on the island, attracting elite athletes, Olympians, and world champions, and becoming more than a race—it is a festival of values. The anniversary year marks the continuation of this journey with new side events, surprises, and guests to be announced soon. Santorini Experience remains true to its vision: to deliver a unique moment that unites sports, nature, and culture in one of the world’s most distinctive and authentic landscapes.
The Municipality of Thira ensures each year the event's impeccable organization and sustainable growth, promoting Santorini as a top international sports tourism destination. Notably, registrations for Thira residents are free, showing respect and support for the local community. The event is complemented each year by local activities and citizen-oriented events.
Special Guests from Japan & Greece
The event becomes even more exciting with the participation of two distinguished athletes who have achieved international recognition and are expected to make a strong appearance. This year, Japanese Olympic open water swimmer Yasu Hirai Fukuoka will take part. With significant accolades in major international competitions, Yasu Hirai Fukuoka brings international prestige and high-level competition to the demanding discipline of open water swimming, raising the standard of the event and inspiring all participants. It is worth noting that he is the first Japanese male athlete to compete in open water swimming at the Olympic Games, having participated twice in the world’s biggest sporting event.
For the first time in the event's history, Nora Drakou will also participate — a 30-time Greek swimming champion, holder of 31 national records, and four-time Olympian. She brings her invaluable expertise and elite competitive level to the island of Santorini, having won more medals than any other female Greek swimmer. Undeniably, she is a role model for many young athletes, and her presence enhances the quality and prestige of the event.
These are the first major athlete names to be announced for this year's anniversary edition of the event — and interest is mounting, as more important announcements featuring distinguished participants from Greece and abroad will follow.
Register Now!
Reserve your spot in Santorini Experience 2025, combining sport, nature, and beauty on one of the world’s most iconic islands. Sign up for running and swimming now HERE!
This event is not just for athletes—it welcomes families and visitors with side activities for all ages. Emphasizing community participation and festive spirit, the event blends sports, culture, and entertainment, offering something special for everyone.
Enhanced Gift Package for All Participants
All athletes will receive a generous pack including a technical T-shirt, collectable bag, timing chip, medal for finishers, bib number, swim cap, and more. Additional services include baggage storage, on-route refreshments, medical support, and exclusive sponsor gifts. The race packs will be available for pickup during the days of the event at the Alafouzos Sport store in Fira, which is the Official Sports Store of the event, as well as at the race registration desks on the days the races take place.
Free Participation for Santorini Residents
Santorini residents can participate at no cost. Free registrations for locals will open soon and will be exclusively available at Alafouzos Sport store.
Discover the magic of Santorini with discounts on SIXT’s premium fleet!
SIXT, a member of MOTODYNAMICS Group, returns to Santorini Experience 2025 as Premium Mobility Partner, offering top-tier transportation solutions with comfort, safety, and style. SIXT’s fully renewed fleet is waiting for you to enjoy every ride — whether you're heading to the starting line or exploring the island after the finish. Book the vehicle that suits you through SIXT’s dedicated page HERE and benefit from exclusive rates with a 15% discount. The discount is applied automatically and exclusively through the above link — no code required. This offer is valid for bookings made up to October 15, for rental periods from October 1 to 15, and applies to all SIXT locations during the event period.
Experience Santorini with comfort, confidence, and premium service!
SIXT, member of MOTODYNAMICS Group is the event’s Premium Mobility Partner.
Athina Luxury Suites is the Silver Sponsor.
Miele, Snappi, NOŪS Santorini are the Bronze Sponsors.
Vikos Natural Mineral Water is the Official Water.
Alafouzos Sport Official is the Official Sports Store.
Santorini Boatmen’s Association, VIP Santorini, Messinian Spa, Rizes Gastro Taverna are the event’s Partners.
Lifeguard Patrol is the Lifeguard Partner.
The event will be carried out with the valuable support of the Hospitality Sponsors, that promote the island and offer tremendous support to the event through special rates. The confirmed hotels so far are the following: Athina Luxury Suites, NOŪS Santorini, Vedema, A Luxury Collection Resort Santorini, Santo Collection Resort & Villas, 270 Oia’s View, Lydia’s House, Coco-Mat Hotel Santorini, Magma Resort Santorini, Aqua Vista Hotels, The Majestic Hotel Santorini, Meltemi Suites, Meltemi Village, Atlantis Beach, Mon Signor, Fanouris Condo, MONOLiTHIA, Epavlis Hotel, Eteoro Suites Santorini, Sea Breeze Beach Resort Santorini, K & K Unique Holiday Homes, Aja Retreat, Loizos Stylish Residences, Venus Sunrise Suites & Villas, Sienna Eco Resort.
The event is organized by the Municipality of Thira, Thira Department of Sports & Culture, and ActiveMedia Group.
Further details on special accommodation rates and transport discounts to and from Santorini will be announced in the coming weeks.
Official Hashtag: #SantoriniExperience
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Local News
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Wednesday, 06 August 2025 13:12
CEV Beach Volley European Cup Final At TUI Magic Life Candia Maris, Nov 6-9
After the successful hosting of Nations Cup in May, Crete is getting ready to welcome yet another top-tier international sporting event: CEV Beach Volley European Cup Final, which will take place from November 6 to 9, 2025 at TUI Magic Life Candia Maris, member of Metaxa Hospitality Group, in Heraklion.
It is a major celebration that brings together top European teams and offers high-level spectacle, while also strengthening sports tourism and promoting Crete’s international profile. The tournament is part of the official international calendar and is held under the auspices of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), with the co-organization of the Region of Crete, the Hellenic Volleyball Federation, the Municipality of Malevizi, and Metaxa Hospitality Group.
What is the European Cup Beach Volley
European Cup is a new initiative by the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), aiming to strengthen and further develop the sport of beach volleyball. It is a club-based European competition, where teams from various countries represent their national leagues on the international stage. Through this new institution, CEV aspires to expand the scope of the sport beyond traditional international tournaments, giving clubs an active role and creating new opportunities for athletes, national federations, and local communities. Participation is based on the teams’ performance in their national championships, which are officially recognized by the Confederation.
The event includes both men’s and women’s competitions and is designed to complement the CEV’s existing tournament ecosystem, with the goal of promoting the sport at both national and international levels.
European Cup Final will take place in Crete, where the European champion will be crowned, turning the island into a focal point for the only Olympic sport played on sand.
Benefits for the local economy & the tourism promotion of Crete
TUI Magic Life Candia Maris and Metaxa Hospitality Group actively demonstrate their commitment to promoting sports tourism. In cooperation with the Hellenic Volleyball Federation, they possess the infrastructure, expertise, and organizational capability to host a top-tier European sporting event such as European Cup. This trust is no coincidence. It follows the resounding success of the CEV Nations Cup held in May at the very same modern facilities. Crete and Metaxa Hospitality Group — with the valuable support of the Region of Crete, the Hellenic Volleyball Federation and the Municipality of Malevizi — successfully co-organized a high-standard event comparable to similar international competitions.
With a strategic goal of establishing Crete as a global sports and tourism destination, this event serves as a powerful tool for enhancing the island’s international profile and strengthening its identity in the global tourism landscape.
This sporting event will contribute to extending the tourist season beyond the summer months by attracting visitors during a period that traditionally experiences lower tourist activity. The fact that the European Cup brings together athletes, officials, accompanying persons, journalists, and fans from across Europe boosts the local economy on multiple levels — from accommodation and dining to transportation and local markets.
At the same time, through the promotion of the event in international and European media, Crete is showcased as a destination that uniquely combines natural beauty, tourism infrastructure, and opportunities for quality sports tourism throughout the year.
Another major beach volleyball event comes to Greece, and it would not have been possible without the contribution of Technical Director Vangelis Polimeropoulos through the Best Sports Marketing Agency in Greece, ActiveMedia Group.
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Local News
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Thursday, 19 February 2015 12:57
Weddings In Greece 2015
The history, weather, and picturesque landscapes of Greece and its islands make it a hugely attractive destination for couples looking to add a little extra magic to their special day, making it one of the most popular countries in Europe for overseas weddings in recent years.
Perhaps one of the greatest virtues of Greece as a wedding destination is that its variety of landscapes permits the couple to really be in control of the aesthetics and tone of their wedding.
With that in mind, we’ve put together some of the most popular Greek wedding destinations and themes to inspire you.
Destinations
Santorini
Santorini is one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean and is justifiably one of the most popular wedding destinations in Greece. The island features the famous blue and white villas and churches, excellent beaches, and fantastic views stretching out over the blue water. The laid back and clean aesthetic of the island lends itself to small and personal weddings, though that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of scope to invite hundreds of your friends and turn it into a big wedding – there is. Whichever one you decide on, it’s hard to go wrong in an area as beautiful as this.
Kefalonia
The island of Kefalonia may only be 50km long and 25km wide, but it manages to pack a lot of romantic views into its small space. With beautiful beaches, stunning water, and an untouched atmosphere that is seldom replicated elsewhere, the island is the ideal place for a small beach ceremony with an intimate audience of family and friends.
Themes
Cruise Weddings
A great way to have a Greek wedding and begin your honeymoon is by taking a cruise wedding, in which you get to share the build-up to the ceremony, the ceremony, and week-long after party with your friends and family. A cruise wedding isn’t a Vegas wedding, however – you’ll still enjoy as much control over the day as you would if it were taking place on land. With so many beautiful Greek islands worth visiting, a cruise wedding is a great way to see them all and make your wedding especially unforgettable – it is also convenient for those couples who can’t decide which picturesque landscape they want in the background of their wedding photos.
Greek Group Weddings
With overseas weddings growing in popularity each year, couples are thinking of ever more creative ways to keep the costs down and turn their dream wedding into a reality. One of the most fun ways to do this is to double, triple, or even quadruple or more up with other engaged couples and have a group wedding, thus slashing costs. Sixteen couples recently wed in one massive ceremony on the island of Crete, taking the idea of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” to a whole new level! While it’s unlikely to save you big money on flights or accommodation, you can save on rentals, food packages, and just about everything else connected to a wedding (though feel free to splurge on your own dress!).
Greek Style
Most people who get married in Greece do so because of the beauty of the landscape, but those who delve a little deeper will find that adding a healthy dose of Greek culture to the ceremony adds plenty of potential to make it unique, stylish, and memorable. The beauty of this approach is that it is so simple – just think about Greek culture while planning! This means adding plenty of fish and local fruit in your meals, serving Greek olives, and making sure all the wine comes from within the country. You can even find plenty of wedding dresses inspired by Ancient Greece and include local music, dances, and customs into your ceremony and after party. If you really want to be Greek, follow the age-old custom and turn your wedding into a three day celebration – it’ll be worth it!
Final Advice
The hospitality and beauty of Greece makes it an unforgettable wedding location. And the beauty of a Greek wedding is that there are no rules to follow – you can have an intimate or extravagant ceremony, choose a romantic island or the bustling city of Athens; the choice is yours. Whichever you decide, take the time to really think about what your perfect wedding would look like – because in Greece, it’s probably achievable.
By Jemma Bond
Photo: iefimerida.gr
Published in
Greece In The News
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Monday, 06 April 2015 10:42
Athens Isn’t Pretty, But It's Exciting: Discover The City's Cultural Rebirth
Crowds surge through the pedestrian shopping zone of Athens’s Ermou Street, past designer boutiques and a tiny Byzantine church that stands at a kink in the road like an island of sanctity. Kapnikarea church is at least 1,000 years old, though its domed roof rests on four ancient columns from Roman times, each of them stripped from a different ruin.
Those mismatched columns, so pragmatically reused, offer an object lesson about the problems and promise of Athens today. Six years of economic crisis, and several decades of thoughtless urban development, have focused many minds here on the task of building a better future from the usable past.
Apart from its classical monuments, Athens is not a picture-postcard capital. It is gritty, restless and spontaneous, as you can see from rampant graffiti that sometimes blows up into epic street art.
But the city seems to be rebounding from the depths of the crisis, which many say were touched three years ago. More and more Athenians are involved in a kind of civic infill activity, reimagining the town, improvising social services and engaging in what Greek photographer Eirini Vourloumis calls “a forced renegotiation of Greek identity.”
Athens is still living the hangover from the boom years of the 1960s, when Athenians were proud of the city they thought they were creating, but also strangely oblivious to the consequences of that process. Unco-ordinated development, fuelled by aid from the U.S. government, erased much of the city’s neoclassical heritage, and damaged the city’s ecology and infrastructure.
Now, ambitious plans are afoot to remodel the downtown in more sustainable ways, and to add cultural capital to civic life. Innovative restorations, led by artists and arts organizations, are reclaiming rundown industrial districts. There is a feeling here that creativity is the last and best resource when other resources fail.
Nikos Vatopoulos, cultural editor of the Athens daily paper Kathimerini, says that Greece “has entered its Weimar period” – a reference both to its political fragility and its creative dynamism.
Rethink Athens, a project led by the Onassis Foundation, will insert a “green spine” between two central plazas, starting later this year. The six lanes of Panepistimiou Street will be pedestrianized and planted with 800 trees, to become a grand promenade – with bike lanes and a tram line – between the neoclassical environs of Syntagma Square and the slowly reviving area around Omonia Square. Near the centre of that promenade, the Greek National Theatre is completely restoring the Rex Theatre, an art-deco building designed in 1935 that will become a three-stage theatre hub. Dozens of empty buildings along Panepistimiou will reawaken as cultural spaces through a citywide project called theatre of 1,000 rooms.
The Greek National Opera, which has expanded all over town with unstaged “suitcase operas” and pop-up performances, will have a new theatre as of next year, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s new complex in the city’s southwest. The National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) has already taken up quarters in part of a restored brewery building originally designed by Takis Zenetos, a leading Greek proponent of modern architecture’s International Style.
By: Robert Everett-Green
Published in
Greece In The News
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Tuesday, 25 August 2015 08:25
Crisis? What Crisis? Say Tourists Flocking To Greece
At London's Heathrow Airport, a traveler to Greece is offered a deal by Aegean Airlines: the flight is booked solid, take a different flight and get 400 euros ($440) and a free round-trip ticket to anywhere in Europe.
Some hours later in Athens, a long queue moves slowly forward to passport control, while smiling but harried officials shout out "Santorini", "Mytilene" and the names of other sun-drenched Greek destinations as they try to herd tourists quickly toward connecting flights.
Greece, despite all its economic and political strife, is heaving with foreign tourists.
"On TV they said we can come, there was no problem," said Thibault Larhant, a tourist from Normandy, in France, who was resting at an open air cafe in Athens' Syntagma Square, cooled by a fan spraying water vapor.
"We came to go to the islands, for the countryside," he said, adding that he and his companion had had no problems.
Nearby, another French tourist sat on the "Athens Happy Train", a road vehicle with carriages that swings visitors around the main sights in Greece's capital, such as the Acropolis.
"My friend loves history and culture," said Christelle Fourdinier, from Perpignon, indicating her companion.
Greece's ancient sites and holiday playground islands have been little changed -- from a tourist standpoint -- by an economic crisis that led to the closure of banks and the country coming within a hair's-breadth of leaving the euro zone.
It is just as well, given that tourism accounts for around a fifth of Greek economic output -- perhaps more now that the economy is shrinking again.
"Tourism is ... our heavy industry, it is the main economic source of income today and also the main source of jobs for many Greeks," Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura told parliament this week.
"Today it offers 750,000 direct jobs, numbers that rise to 1.5 million jobs including indirect tourism-related jobs."
To read more, please visit: Reuters
Published in
Greece In The News
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Monday, 30 November 2015 07:00
Rhodes To Host Tripadvisors Destination Academy Europe
The island of Rhodes has been selected as the first European destination to host the Destination Academy with TripAdvisor (DATA) event.
The DATA event is an initiative by E-Tourism Frontiers and TripAdvisor to bring together destination managers, marketing executives and digital media experts at regional events to discuss the growing importance of user-generated content in travel planning. The DATA event was first held in 2014 in Singapore and this year took place in Victoria Falls. This is the first DATA event to be held in the Mediterranean.
The event will take place on Rhodes on February 16-17, 2016, and aim to improve the way destinations use digital tools and content created by travellers. Such events include interactive training sessions, guided discussions, best practices, destination case studies, multimedia, as well as analysis and trends from TripAdvisor.
The tourism department of the South Aegean Region is co-organizing of the event.
Chad Shiver, Senior DMO Sales Executive of TripAdvisor, with Marietta Papavasileiou, Vice Governor of Tourism for the Region of South Aegean.
“E-Tourism Frontiers, TripAdvisor and the South Aegean Region are working together to organize the first DATA MEDITERRANEAN event on Rhodes”,Chad Shiver, Senior DMO Sales Executive of TripAdvisor, said in an announcement on Tuesday 26NOV15.
To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
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Greece In The News
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Tuesday, 14 June 2016 07:00
The Odyssey Meets Greece
Meeting the Odyssey is a social and artistic collaborative project sailing from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea. Each summer from 2014 to 2016, artists and organizers from different European countries travel together, giving workshops and performing theatre pieces.
The project combines elements of the Odyssey, contemporary themes relevant to Europe and stories collected through exchanges with the local population. But Meeting the Odyssey is also a journey in and of itself: bringing people together through long term collaboration and discovering new artistic landscapes and cultural attitudes to develop synergies at the European level.
In 2014, the ship Hoppet sailed in the Baltic Sea, in 2015 in the Mediterranean Sea and this year, the tour will take place in Greece.
Here is what the Project Manager, Matilda von Weissenberg, had to say:
It is time for this project to reach its last tour. It is time to set sails and reach the final destination: Greece, the home of Odysseus himself, the origin of so many myths and legends, philosophers and artists.
When we planned the Meeting the Odyssey project in 2012, we decided that the last tour would happen in Greece as a tribute to all culture, arts, civilization and heritage that we can thank Greece for. Another reason was to show solidarity with the in times of economical crisis. We wanted to go against the trend of blaming the south for the crisis. We wanted to do something that would unite Europeans instead of dividing us. Meeting the Odyssey was our answer to those first signs of EU’s internal crisis that were discernible already back in 2012 – with a ship filled with theatre we wanted to enhance intercultural dialogue and overcome prejudices.
We have sailed many seas and performed in many ports since those planning days. Almost 19000 people have seen the performances in 25 places all over Europe. Meeting the Odyssey started its journey 2014 in St.Petersburg in the middle of very difficult relations because of the Crimean crisis. After a rainy and cold tour on the Baltic Sea, the project reached Central European places like Prague, Opole and Berlin. In 2015 the tour went around Italy, France and Malta, stopping also at Lampedusa, the island where so many migrants have landed after a dangerous trip from the African continent. All along, this project has been somehow present in the places of concern in Europe. The same pattern continues as we reach the final tour in Greece.
The European spectrum has changed during these years. We started out focusing on the collaboration and dialogue within Europe. We end up confronting us with a situation far more complex, where all of Europe is trying to deal with the arrival of thousands of people from outside Europe, people who represent different cultures, religions and languages. How can Meeting the Odyssey face these challenges? How can we, as artists, contribute to a better understanding between cultures and traditions? Can we do anything at all?
We think we can. We have a beautiful sailing ship called Hoppet to take us around in the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas and we have over 50 artists from all over Europe ready to perform fantastic theatre productions as well as Instant performances and workshops. Here we come Greece!
For more information, please visit: Meeting The Odyssey
Here is what the Project Manager, Matilda von Weissenberg, had to say:
It is time for this project to reach its last tour. It is time to set sails and reach the final destination: Greece, the home of Odysseus himself, the origin of so many myths and legends, philosophers and artists.
When we planned the Meeting the Odyssey project in 2012, we decided that the last tour would happen in Greece as a tribute to all culture, arts, civilization and heritage that we can thank Greece for. Another reason was to show solidarity with the in times of economical crisis. We wanted to go against the trend of blaming the south for the crisis. We wanted to do something that would unite Europeans instead of dividing us. Meeting the Odyssey was our answer to those first signs of EU’s internal crisis that were discernible already back in 2012 – with a ship filled with theatre we wanted to enhance intercultural dialogue and overcome prejudices.
We have sailed many seas and performed in many ports since those planning days. Almost 19000 people have seen the performances in 25 places all over Europe. Meeting the Odyssey started its journey 2014 in St.Petersburg in the middle of very difficult relations because of the Crimean crisis. After a rainy and cold tour on the Baltic Sea, the project reached Central European places like Prague, Opole and Berlin. In 2015 the tour went around Italy, France and Malta, stopping also at Lampedusa, the island where so many migrants have landed after a dangerous trip from the African continent. All along, this project has been somehow present in the places of concern in Europe. The same pattern continues as we reach the final tour in Greece.
The European spectrum has changed during these years. We started out focusing on the collaboration and dialogue within Europe. We end up confronting us with a situation far more complex, where all of Europe is trying to deal with the arrival of thousands of people from outside Europe, people who represent different cultures, religions and languages. How can Meeting the Odyssey face these challenges? How can we, as artists, contribute to a better understanding between cultures and traditions? Can we do anything at all?
We think we can. We have a beautiful sailing ship called Hoppet to take us around in the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas and we have over 50 artists from all over Europe ready to perform fantastic theatre productions as well as Instant performances and workshops. Here we come Greece!
For more information, please visit: Meeting The Odyssey
Published in
Greece In The News
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Tuesday, 26 July 2016 07:00
A Hopeful Comeback For Endangered Sea Turtles & Seals In Greece
Long term protection has paid off in Greece after this year marked a preservation status improvement of the Caretta Caretta Sea Turtle and the Mediterranean Monk Seal in the global Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)!
About the Caretta Caretta Sea Turtle
The nesting season of marine turtles has already started in the Mediterranean and the world’s largest hard-shelled turtle, the endangered loggerhead, also known as the Caretta caretta, is enjoying a new lease on life in Greece’s shores, which are among the most popular nesting sites along the Mediterranean, with more than 3,000 nests per year.
More than 500 nests were already identified on the Ionian island of Zakynthos, the largest nesting ground in the Mediterranean, during a survey carried out early last month by the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece (Archelon) on the beaches of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, making 2016 one of the best years in a decade. A following survey by Archelon found that the number of nests in Southern Kyparissiakos Bay in the western Peloponnese, the second largest nesting area in the Mediterranean, already surpassed the 1,000 mark for 2016.
Caretta caretta recently changed its category in the IUCN’s Red List of threatened species, from ‘endangered’ which had been assigned since 1996, to ‘vulnerable.’ In addition, its Mediterranean population is now listed as ‘least concern.’ This new status means that the species is not in danger of extinction in the near future on the condition that their current status remains the same.
The new listing of Caretta caretta in the Mediterranean actually reflects the success of all the important conservation actions that take place all these years in Greece, which must continue on by international and local groups.
About the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus)
After 25 years of systematic efforts to preserve the species, the first results are now starting to show and the IUCN preservation status for the Mediterranean monk seal dropped down one category in the endangered species list, from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’, according to a Hellenic Society for the Study & Protection of the Monk Seal (MOm) announcement earlier this year.
Experts from around the world gathered and evaluated the most recent data and found positive developments in at least three of the four main regions of the monk seal's range, among them Greece.
What seems to be playing a significant role in the betterment of the species’ status is the positive attitude by the majority of the citizens, as a result of information, environmental education, and general awareness. However, the danger of the species’ extinction has not been eliminated as the populations remain small and fragile while most of the main threats for the species remain substantial, such as the habitat degradation and competition with human fishing.
Mediterranean monk seals are considered one of the world’s most threatened marine mammals. Once widespread throughout the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the northern coast of Africa, their numbers have declined dramatically for most of the twentieth century.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda
Published in
Greece In The News
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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 07:00
Greek Associations And The Greek-American Community Support 'Greek Panorama'
The heart of Hellenism beats in the heart of culture. The 1st ‘Greek Panorama’ exhibition opens its doors on May 11-13 in Manhattan, New York, with the sole purpose of successfully promoting and advertising Greece abroad.
Incorporating the elements of Tourism, Culture and Gastronomy into one successful recipe will bring out the aroma of Greece inside one of the most impressive and historical railway stations in the world, the Grand Central Terminal in New York, reaching out to over 750,000 daily passersbys.
A firm supporter for promoting Greece’s most important business sectors in tourism and exporting of food products, the Greek Embassy in Washington has invited Hellas North American Events Inc., organizer of the Greek Panorama, to supply the embassy with tourism-related brochure material and Greek products on the annual EU Open House event on Saturday, May 13th (10.00-16.00), along with the Manhattan exhibition. Further enhancing and strengthening Greece’s tourism destination identity and market positioning of Greek products in the U.S. capital is the basis of the above-mentioned agreement as both parties share common goals.
The 1st Greek Panorama exhibition will be held under the auspices of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Travel & Tourist Agencies (FedHATTA) and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH).
We should not forget that Athens and New York are directly connected with three airlines, among which the recent daily flight of Emirates is included. The exhibition takes a further step to bring Greece closer to the American public.
Not only the Greek expatriates but the entire Greek American community stands side-by-side on this important initiative. Among them the ultramarathon Konstantinos (Dean) Karnazes who will attend the exhibition and sign copies of his latest book “The Road To Sparta” while many more surprises will await the visitors. Mr. Karnazes is internationally recognized as an endurance athlete and bestselling author, he has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights and has participated in 50 marathons, in 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days.
It should be noted that the exhibition will be free and open to the public on May 12-13.
The interest of many professionals in the US travel market is intrigued by the b2b event being held on Thursday, May 11th on the occasion of the exhibition, as it offers a unique opportunity to carry out individual business meetings with Greek tourist companies and destinations.
Greek Panorama exhibition and its parallel events are the basis of Hellas North American Events’ marketing strategy for the Northern American market, including a number of targeted campaigns and events taking place throughout the year.
North Events – a strategic partner of Hellas North American Events in Europe, has been organizing tourism exhibitions for Greece with great success in major markets including Grecka Panorama in Poland and Grekland Panorama & Mediterranean Panorama in Sweden, since 2014.
For more information, please visit: Greek Panorama
For more information, please visit: Greek Panorama
Photo Credit: Grand Central Terminal
Published in
Greece In The News
Tagged under
Thursday, 11 May 2017 07:00
Greek Panorama At The Gates - 1st Hellenistic Exhibition Takes Place at Grand Central Terminal
It is finally on its way. In a few days’ time the 1st “Greek Panorama” exhibition will open its curtain at the Grand Central Terminal in the Vanderbilt Hall, in Manhattan, hoping to achieve a successful representation of Greece abroad.
The exhibition will offer free entrance to the public on May 12th and May 13th, from 10:00 AM until 06:00 PM, while everything that is included in the “Greek Panorama B2B sessions”, which is exclusively for professionals, will take place on May 11th, 2017 and the feedback of this event is extremely promising since the participations are already beyond every expectation.
The B2B is peeking the interest of many professionals who are involved in the American traveling market, as it is offering a unique opportunity for them to meet in person with people representing Greek tourist businesses and destinations. This particular event at the Greek Panorama will be organized at the high-end assembly hall “Kellari” and will include shows by famous chefs creating a variety of Greek delicacies.
A Greek expatriate as well as the entire Greek American community is standing by the side of this initiative. Important people will be there, such as the ultramarathon runner Konstantinos (Dean) Karnazes, who will be signing his book “The road to Sparta” and also the former NFL player, Niko Koutouvides.
At the time of the exhibition the first copy of the Greek American magazine Hellas Blu will be published, which includes interviews of the Greek NBA star Giannis Antetokoumpo, Dean Karnazes and the famous chef Maria Loe, who runs her own business in New York.
Greek Panorama” and its corresponding events are the main constituents of the plan of action created by the Hellas North American Events Inc. regarding North America markets, considering that the plan includes actions and initiatives throughout the year.
Shortly before the exhibition opens its doors, the general manager of North Events, Mr. Leonidas Babanis, pointed out: “I am very excited that we are just a few moments before the beginning of the exhibition, which aims to promote Greece everywhere! Having tourism, culture and gastronomy as the key points, a successful recipe is created so that the essence of Greece will originally take over New York and eventually the world. The overwhelming enrollments for the B2B event allow us to dream that the “Greek Panorama” is not only a yearly exhibition but an establishment for the future. I want to thank all those who have stood and are still standing beside us such as the Greek embassy in Washington, the Ministry of Tourism, the Hellenic-American Chamber of Tourism and Greek National Tourism Organization, Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Travel & Tourist Agencies (FedHATTA), Hellenic Hotel Federation (HHF) and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH). More importantly, though, we have to thank the people, our expatriates, who from the beginning have shown that they are beside us. Finally, we will be waiting for you on May 12th and 13th at the Grand Central Terminal to enjoy Greece”.
It should be noted that the available exposure areas in the Greek Panorama exhibition are limited and due to the interest already expressed, the participation requests will be processed in priority order.
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