Fancy seeing the ancient Acropolis uncluttered by thousands of selfie-snappers? A solution is in the works, but it will set you back up to 5,000 euros ($5,500). Starting April 1 2024, Greece plans to offer exclusive guided tours of its most powerful tourist magnet to handfuls of well-heeled visitors outside normal opening hours. The measure is part of an overhaul of ticketing policy for Greece’s archaeological sites and museums, which will see across-the-board increases as of April 2025. An official at Greece’s Culture Ministry said Friday that the new Acropolis service will apply to a maximum four groups of up to five people each. It will cost 5,000 euros ($5,500) per group, although individuals prepared to cover the full group fee are welcome to visit on their own. Nikol...
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Nationwide movement against the expansion of pricey sunbeds for tourists On Greece's popular island of Paros, a protest by residents demanding space and free access to its sandy beaches has led to a growing nationwide movement against the expansion of pricey sunbeds rented out by private companies. The protests, dubbed by media the 'Towel Movement', have quickly spread from Paros to the nearby island of Naxos and to other holiday spots at the north and the south of the country. Protesters stage demonstration for free access to beaches on Marcello and Krios beaches, in Paros island, Greece, July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ronit Nesher "The locals enjoy the peacefulness here, so we do not want it [the beach] to be taken up by businesses who care about the money, and not about nature and ...
Read MoreSotirios Gkaintatzis danced across burning coals, his stomping bare feet raising sparks and puffs of smoke as he held aloft an icon of Saints Constantine and Helen. Gkaintatzis is the leader of a group of anastenaria -- the devotees of St. Constantine who celebrate these centuries-old rites in a smattering of small villages near Greece’s border with Bulgaria. Firewalking is the most spectacular and public of these annual rituals that include dancing, prayer, and shared meals in the konaki, a private dwelling where the icons are preserved for generations. Devotees of St. Constantine called "anastenaria" walk and dance across a bed of burning coals, carrying icons to celebrate the Orthodox saint's feast in Lagkadas, Greece, on Monday, May 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell'Orto) ...
Read MoreGreece has scored a win in its fight to protect their right to the term 'Feta' as Europe's top court reprimanded Denmark for not blocking local companies from using the name for sales outside the European Union. Greece claims feta as part of its cultural heritage because it has made the sheep and goat milk cheese for 6,000 years. The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) agreed with its assertion. FIL PHOTO: A cheesemonger puts pieces of Greece's trademark feta cheese in a bag for a customer in central Athens, Greece. REUTERS/John Kolesidis "By failing to stop the use of the designation 'Feta' for cheese intended for export to third countries, Denmark has failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law," judges said. In the case brought by the Europea...
Read MoreHoliday group TUI expects the highest level of demand for Greece on record this year, its director of Communications Aage Duenhaupt told Athens news agency on Sunday. Tourism accounts for about 20% of Greece’s gross domestic product and has a crucial role in helping the economy to emerge from a decade-long debt crisis followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign visitors are flocking back to Greece's islands and ancient monuments, raising hopes for its vital tourism industry after a turbulent two years, though the impact of high inflation means a return to normal may still be some way off. A view of a beach in front of the Cape Sounio Grecotel Resort, in Cape Sounion, near Athens, Greece, June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Vassilis Triandafyllou Greek tourism suffered its worst ever year in...
Read MoreGreece lifted COVID-19 restrictions on Sunday for foreign and domestic flights, its civil aviation authority said, ahead of the summer tourism season that officials hope will see revenues bouncing back from the pandemic slump. To fly in or out of the country, travellers were previously required to show either a vaccination certificate, a certificate saying they had recovered from coronavirus or a negative test. FILE PHOTO: People visit the ancient Parthenon Temple atop the Acropolis hill archaeological site in Athens, Greece, February 26, 2022. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi From May 1, passengers and crew will need only to wear a face mask, the civil aviation authority said. The summer tourism season typically begins after the Greek Orthodox Easter, which was on April 24. Greece is exp...
Read MoreGreece said on Wednesday that pandemic restrictions such as mask-wearing indoors and COVID certificates will be lifted throughout the summer tourism period and authorities will consider reinstating them in September. Coronavirus infections in Greece have eased in recent weeks, with authorities recording 15,000 infections and 64 deaths on Tuesday. Out of a population of 11 million, some 72% are fully vaccinated. FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of a hotel resort on the island of Corfu, Greece, March 2, 2022. REUTERS/Adonis Skordilis Greece's vital summer tourism season typically begins after the Orthodox Easter, which this year falls on April 24. Greece is expecting high numbers of visitors this year, with officials predicting revenues reaching 80% of 2019 levels, a record year before t...
Read MoreIt took one electricity bill to crush Dimitris Diavatis' hopes that his Greek summer resort could bounce back to its pre-pandemic health this year, even with bookings pouring in. The amount was more than double what he paid this time last year when the hotel was not even open. After two sluggish summers, the irony was not lost on him: "We won't make a profit in a good year," he said. "It'll be eaten up by inflation." Greece - like the other tourism-dependent economies on the euro zone's Mediterranean fringe – is seeing signs of a much-needed recovery in visitor numbers in 2022 after two largely lost years. As in Spain, Portugal and Italy, the sector is a huge employer and contributor to state revenues. General view of the schist village of Fajao, Pampilhosa da Serra , Portugal, F...
Read MoreGreece's tourism minister on Thursday said the visitor season would officially start in March, earlier than previous years, and there were "positive signs" of a bumper summer ahead. After COVID-19 brought global travel to a standstill in 2020, Greek tourism suffered its worst year on record with just 7 million visitors bringing in revenues of 4 billion euros ($4.55 billion). The industry, which accounts for a fifth of the economy and one in five jobs, began to recover last year when a season that officially began in May delivered about 10.5 billion euros in revenues, far less than an all-time record in 2019. Tourists walk past the ancient Parthenon temple atop Acropolis hill in Athens, Greece, February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Costas Baltas "There is great demand and great dynamic fo...
Read MoreGreece protests to Turkey over ‘desecration’ at Sumela monastery Greece's foreign ministry said on Monday images showing a band dancing to electronic music at the former Orthodox Christian Sumela monastery in Turkey were "offensive" and "a desecration" of the monument. The ministry called on Turkish authorities "to do their utmost to prevent such acts from being repeated" and to respect the site, a candidate for UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. "The recent images that were displayed on social media, in which a foreign band seems to be dancing disco in the area of the Historical Monastery of Panagia Soumela, are a desecration of this Monument," it said. Turkish officials were not immediately available for comment. FILE PHOTO: A general view of the ancient Sumela Mona...
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