Author: Buy2Greece

We’ve all heard of armchair travel: the perfect way to momentarily escape from one’s stressful, over-scheduled life. People used to relax, grab a copy of the New York Times Travel section, and let their minds wander to their own private paradise. If they were reading an article about Italy, they might even accompany their armchair trip with a big bowl of pasta.

That trend, unfortunately, is so 20th Century. Not many people have time to sit in an armchair, and even fewer read actual newspapers or books. A big bowl of Pasta Bolognese? Forget it. Carbs went out with wearing leotards to the gym. People want to multi-task and lose weight whilst clad in black leggings and Lululemon. They keep going until their minds and bodies just can’t take it anymore. The solution: a yoga retreat.

The yoga retreat isn’t a new concept, but its popularity has gained critical momentum over the years. Surfing and yoga in Costa Rica, or yoga and shamanic experiences in Peru are examples of two popular combinations.

But what happens when people no longer have time for a retreat? How do they fit any “me time” at all into their busy schedules? A new business, appropriately named “The Flying Carpet,” seems to have the solution. It allows yogis from around the world to stream live yoga classes from Madrid. And if people are too busy to take an hour long class, they can get a “Yoga Reboot,” which delivers a clear mind and relaxed body in only 20 minutes.

The business recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on the international platform Indiegogo. They’re currently raising money to launch Phase 1 of The Flying Carpet, which is opening the studio in Madrid and creating downloadable content such as yoga class videos and mindfulness MP3′s. Phase 2 of the The Flying Carpet project will see the concept expand to other cities around the globe, so yoga enthusiasts everywhere can replace their armchair travel with yoga travel. Someone needs to invent a yoga pose called The Traveling Yogi!

A ministerial decision introducing a new mandatory star rating system for hotels in Greece was published on Friday in the Government Gazette.

The decision focuses on hotel services and other technical requirements that hotels in Greece must fulfil, particularly those of higher categories.

According to the decision, hotels in Greece will be ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Each hotel is classified into one of the five categories if they follow the minimum standards and collect the minimum number of points required for classification.

Among other things, the decision specifies the plot plan minimum requirements for hotel construction in accordance with general and specific planning provisions.

Also, hotels are now obliged to provide rooms designed for guests with a disability or reduced mobility. The minimum number of rooms for guests with disabilities is set at five percent of the total capacity of the hotel.

The special operational seals issued under the previous classification system automatically cease to apply on December 31, 2017. By this date all hotels in Greece are required to have a rating certificate in accordance with the provisions of the new decision.

http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/homepage.page

Mobility solutions for top requirements: Sixt car rental received the accolade of “World’s Leading Business Car Rental Company” at the World Travel Awards (WTA). In addition, the Sixt Limousine Service was named the “World’s Leading Luxury Chauffeur Service.” The World Travel Awards are considered the highest distinction in the travel and tourism industry. The awarding of prizes is based on votes by industry experts worldwide. The international mobility service provider received the top ratings for the high levels of quality of its services and products.

The World Travel Awards were presented in a ceremony at the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. Heinz Verhaegh, Managing Director of Sixt’s activities on the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, Saint Maarten, and Saint Barthelemy, accepted the award from Graham Cooke, President of the WTA. Louis and Allison Ratchel, Branch Manager and Operations Manager of Sixt on the island of Saint Martin, also attended the event. In recent years, Sixt has received many prizes in various categories at the World Travel Awards for its high-quality and comprehensive services and products.

Ryanair, launched a ‘Crazy Fares’ sale across Europe, with fares from £9.99 for travel in January on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, which must be booked before midnight Monday the 5th of January.

Customers across Europe already choose Ryanair for its low fares and wide route selection, and now they can also enjoy allocated seating, a free second carry-on bag onboard, avail of reduced fees, a new website, a smartphone app with mobile boarding passes, and Family Extra and Business Plus services, making Ryanair the ideal choice for families, business and leisure travellers.

Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said:

“To celebrate the New Year, we’re launching a ‘Crazy Fares’ sale across Europe, with fares from £9.99 for travel in January on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, which must be booked before midnight, Monday 5th of January – making Europe’s lowest fares even lower. Customers should log on to Ryanair.com and choose a New Year break – but they need to be quick as this amazing sale ends at 24:00hrs on Monday, 5th January.”

More countries are now ready to follow the US lead on eased visa requirements for Chinese tourists. Outbound travel from the mainland is tipped to become the major driver of growth for airlines based in the region. And international traffic for Chinese carriers will increase more than 15 % this year on the outbound tourism boom, outpacing an expected 10-12 % rise on domestic routes, Citi forecasts in a report.

According to report, “The US recently loosened visa requirements for Chinese visitors. The UK, Japan and South Korea also promised to relax the visa application process. We expect more countries to follow this trend in the near future, which should significantly boost international traffic.”

The White House says, in 2013, 1.8 million Chinese visitors added US$21.1 billion to the US economy. A meeting of Apec leaders in November resulted in an agreement between China and the US to extend the visa validity for business and tourism from one year to 10 years.

Air China leads the mainland carriers on North American routes, followed by China Eastern Airlines. Both are expected to secure more growth than their competitors.

UBS Asia transport research analyst Eric Lin estimates Cathay Pacific accounts for up to a quarter of traffic on China-US routes factoring in transits via Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific expects increased demand on its US flights arising from the visa moves.

Commercial director for Hong Kong and Macau at Texas-headquartered American Airlines, Victor Lee, said: “Relaxed US visa requirements will not only bring more Chinese visitors to the US, but also to Latin America”, as a US tourist visa gives entry to various other countries including Mexico and Panama. Chinese airlines’ share of seats on China-EU and China-US routes was below 50 percent, which makes them a promising bet.”

“There will be earnings growth for sure, but revenue growth will be below volume growth,” he said, as carriers vying for market share may compete at the expense of ticket prices.

Relaxed visa policies will bring in more travelers, but most of them will not be corporate travelers, which are the real profitable passengers for airlines,” he said.

According to Japan it would announce the details of its new visa policy for Chinese citizens in the spring after promising to loosen requirements in November.

圣诞快乐和繁荣的新的2015年！

メリークリスマスと豊かな新年2015！