Category: Buy2Greece

Boat Show will take place between 15-19 October 2014 at the Olympic Fencing Center. The boat show for sea enthusiasts will again bring to the fore an important sector of Greek economy and will present a wide selection of nautical products.

http://www.athensboatshow.gr/index.php?lang=en

According to Esteraich newspaper, Greece was the leading destination for Austrians this year.

“This year, Greece was the leading destination for Austrians, the ultimate number one for those who are attracted by the sea,” highlighted the Austrian publication.

The newspaper noted that Austrians have been the European “champions” in terms of tourism, as they are on vacation more than any other citizen in Europe.

Among those Austrians who chose Greece for this year’s holiday was the Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurt, as well as the Culture Minister Joseph Ostermagier, who is one of Greece’s fanatic supporters, and chose Rhodes this year by booking at the last minute.

According to a research of the Austrian Erste Bank, on average this year, an Austrian spent 1100 euros on holidays, which is 200 euros more than last year.

– See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/08/19/greece-top-holiday-destination-for-austrians/#sthash.CyZRkiKz.dpuf

Meet A.L.O. (pronounced: “el-oh”), Aloft Hotel’s new robot butler! Just under 3 feet and dressed in a vinyl-collared uniform, this robot butler (also known as Botlr) is ready to serve guests with aplomb!

The industry’s first automated bellhop can carry out all the usual room service tasks, reveal officials at Alof Hotels, a brand of Starwood Hotels. Guests at the hotel just need to call the front desk and specify their requirements. The staff will load up the Botlr with requested items, punch in the guest’s room number and send it off to make the delivery. Also, guests won’t have to pay tip for all that service. With the delivery complete, the Botlr will request for a review. If the guest puts in a positive remark on the built-in screen, the robot does a happy dance.

The official launch of this incredible technology is on August 20th. Brian McGuinness, senior vice president for the Aloft brand, said he could see having one or two Botlrs in each Aloft hotel. “I think there is a chance that this could go enterprise-wide based on a successful pilot,” he said.

So, is this new technology puts a question mark on bellhops? Officials at Starwood say these robots won’t replace any employees. Rather, they will be freed from petty tasks so that they can concentrate on other important managerial works.

The Botlr was designed and built by Sunnyvale, California, start-up Savioke. If the launch is successful, 100 of such Botlrs will be deployed in Starwood’s other properties.

With the airberlin Family Special, children on selected flights receive a 100% discount on the net flight price, making it particularly cheap for them to fly off for their holidays, provided they are accompanied by an adult. The offer includes favourite holiday destinations such as Morocco, Spain or southern Italy. The Family Special can be booked until 19th August. With the Family offer, all you have to pay for children aged between two and eleven on flights between 1st October and 15th December 2014 are the taxes and charges.

From the age of two upwards children can become members of airberlin’s frequent flyer program, topbonus. During the special offer period, travellers using the Family Special who are members of the frequent flyer program will be credited with 500 topbonus award miles. When booking, simply enter the topbonus number for all guests flying. Miles can be redeemed from 3,000 miles onwards to purchase bargain discount tickets or from 2,000 miles in the new topbonus shop.

The airline with the heart is once again demonstrating its family-friendly service with this campaign, as every child also receives a little surprise while on board. For example, to keep them entertained airberlin provides a colouring book, a puzzle or a comic book. It goes without saying that Germany’s second largest airline carries buggies, pushchairs, car seats and travel beds for children up to the age of eleven free of charge.

Tickets can be booked online at http://www.airberlin.com/familyspecial, via the airberlin Service Center on +49 30 3434 3434 (local rates apply) or through a travel agent.

airberlin is one of the leading airlines in Europe and flies to 171 destinations worldwide each year. The second largest airline in Germany carried more than 31.5 million passengers in 2013. airberlin offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21% share in airberlin, and through membership of the oneworld® airline alliance. The airline with the award-winning service operates codeshare flights worldwide with 18 airlines. The fleet has an average age of five years and is among the most modern and eco-efficient in Europe.

Source: airberlin.

http://www.buy2greece.com

In the wake of what is being considered as the worst Ebola outbreak in history, World Health Organization (WHO) issued an ‘international public health emergency’. More than 900 people have died since the epidemic broke out earlier this year.

Ebola outbreak stands as a serious threat for international tourism industry. As the tragic epidemic, passed on through contact with blood or bodily fluids of the infected, has no cure and a fatality rate of up to 90 percent, nations are taking extra precautions to ensure that there’s no possible outbreak in their country/city. Certain carriers have already suspended flights to regions near and across West Africa. Emirates was the first major international airline to suspend service to Guinea, saying “the safety of our passengers and crew is of the highest priority and will not be compromised.” British Airways is the latest major airline to suspend flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia, due to the “deteriorating public health situation.” BA’s cancellation comes as it emerged that a Cardiff resident has quarantined themselves at home over fears they may have been exposed to the deadly virus in West Africa.

Tourists willing to travel to Africa’s favourite tourist hotspots are being warned to take necessary precautions before travelling. “From a tourism perspective, the countries primarily affected by this Ebola outbreak are not what drives African tourism,” Max Rayner, partner of travel industry analyst group Hudson Crossing, told Yahoo Travel.

“But as was shown during the SARS and avian flu outbreaks, tourists and businesspeople considering travel to South Africa, Nigeria, or Kenya will understand that while on a plane, they could be exposed to other passengers who may indeed have come from the affected areas.”

Most recently, quite a few cases of Ebola has been reported in Nigeria, which is also a popular tourist destination among international travellers. More cases of Ebola moving across borders via air travel are expected, as West Africa faces the largest outbreak of the hemorrhagic virus in history, said Tom Frieden, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

United States is also bracing for possible outbreak, but the impact won’t be large, US health authorities said.

If not contained in time, the outbreak can pose a serious threat to the tourism industry. Tour Operators are already mulling over planned trips to various parts of Africa. Many nations beefing up security procedures at airports to refrain the infected, still any full-proof solution is yet to be doled out.

The Times source figures from Currencies Direct which report that transactions from Brits are up 84% in Spain and 65% in France on last year. It’s a small data set but the general trend (although perhaps not at the same level) is supported by many other sources.

It’s almost a perfect storm for the British overseas property market:

Rising UK house prices allowing significant equity release to fund international purchases
A favourable exchange rate. The pound is at a 22 month high against the Euro. British buyers get €1.25 euros to the pound today, a way off €1.45 at the height of the last boom but still not bad
Rising consumer confidence – The UK had the best GDP figures in Europe according to data publish this month
The biggest ingredient for a perfect storm is fear of loss, which always drives booms. Rising prices in Spain may yet provide that ingredient in this market (France, Italy and Portugal won’t rise any time soon and US seems to be levelling off).

The former Greek and Roman ancient city of Ephesus, near present-day Selcuk town of Izmir in western Turkey has received some 800,000 tourists in the first six months of 2014, generating revenue of over 4 million Turkish liras.

Culture and Tourism Director of İzmir Abdülaziz Ediz said, “Revenue from these historic sites is used to improve and restore the sites themselves”, adding the renovation of the Ephesus Museum in the town Selçuk, which has been going on for the past 18 months will be completed soon.

The acropolis of Pergamon- a major center of learning in the ancient world, located in the province of İzmir received 109,000 tourists in the first half of the year, raising the revenue received by museums in the area by 106 percent. Acropolis of Pergamon (Bergama) was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in June.

The ancient city of Ephesus was added to UNESCO’s temporary list of world heritage sites in 2000. Mr. Ediz is hopeful to see Ephesus in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2015.

With working hours ever-increasing and work-life balance issues seemingly growing more and more intense, modern technology has made us a 24/7 contactable generation – using our smart phones to monitor emails on the move, check ourselves in via Facebook, and keep on track with the very latest breaking news on Twitter at the mere touch of an app.

Yet being part of the ‘have it all’ generation comes at a cost. Although technology was originally developed to save us time, it now takes up our time, and this all-consuming lifestyle is beginning to have an effect on our health. The Office for National Statistics revealed in their ‘Sickness Absence in the Labour Market’ report that 15.2 million days of work were lost in 2013 due to mental health problems such as stress, depression and anxiety, up from 13.3 million days in 2011.

Not only affecting people’s mental health in a detrimental way, stress also lowers the body’s ability to fight infection and disease, with a recent study detailing the worrying damage it can cause the heart, which taken alongside the more commonly known effects of digestive and respiratory problems, stress has a wide-ranging negative impact on a person.

For many the solution is to take a holiday, escape from everyday pressures for a week or two, yet the Spafinder Wellness 365′s ’2014 Trends Forecast’ has shown that 85% of people surveyed returned from their break less rejuvenated than before they left. The answer is to choose the right kind of holiday, one that will allow a true escape and has relaxation at its core.

Wolf Worster, MD of Wolf Wörster Associates, Inc, a global property consultancy marketing The Baymen Resort & Spa in Belize’s Cayo region, explains what makes a resort a truly relaxing,”For me I would say it is the little touches that make a resort totally tranquil – a beautifully designed spa with the very best fittings, the location of the relaxation areas that allow for idyllic views, comfortable sofas in which to flop after a warm day in the sun, the pure waters of an infinity or plunge pool – all adding to the serenity of the surrounds. At The Baymen, all of these aspects are included, and more, offering the ultimate in relaxation for individual owners and those staying as guests.”

The Spafinder Wellness 365 report also confirmed, in response to returning unrefreshed from their holidays, that people were now demanding greater ‘wellness’ from their breaks. 82%, for example, now claim they want a holiday that offers a spa or massage, 73% require an eco-property, and 82% look for nature experiences. All aspects that contribute to the overall relaxation of a resort, The Baymen in Belize ticks all these boxes.

Situated in the lush jungle foliage of a private rainforest location, the eco hotel has been designed to reveal its beauty gradually, encouraging guests to feel immediately tranquil and enthralled by the resort as they are welcomed with a signature cocktail and refreshing chilled towels infused with local organic oil.

Tourists are drawn to the Bloomery Plantation distillery yearning for its liqueurs with fruity flavors, its well maintained picturesque farms and a charming environ that is a delight for any tourist coming from The US, Loas or Iceland. The truly flavored and nectarine comforts are remarkable and unforgettable.
The West Virginia mini-distillery is part of a growing agriculture tourism trend that advocates say can help revive struggling rural economies. Ag tourism refers to working farm enterprises geared to visitors, encompassing farm stands, pumpkin patches, barn dances, zip-line rides, pick-your-own berries, corn mazes and even weddings.
Farms engaging in agritourism generated roughly $700 million in 2012 — a 24 per cent increase over five years, according to the most recent U.S. Agriculture Department statistics. But that’s still a sliver compared to some other, more traditional forms of tourism; for example, visitors to national parks spent about $14.6 billion in communities within 60 miles last year.
Ag tourism is one of agriculture’s fasting growing sectors, said Kelly Smith, marketing and commodities director at the Missouri Farm Bureau. The bureau and the state Department of Agriculture recently hosted an agritourism conference in Kansas City, where there was particular interest in weddings on farms and farm-to-table dinners, where food grown by a farmer is served at a meal on the farmer’s property.
“Many farmers are looking to add revenue streams to their farms,” Smith said.
Last month, the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency charged with promoting economic development in that area, launched a map and guide of nearly 300 farmers markets, vineyards, farm-to-fork restaurants and other destinations in an effort to boost the industry. The map and guide were published in Food Traveler Magazine and online.
“Local food systems are growing throughout Appalachia, and their growth is making important economic contributions in rural communities,” said Earl F. Gohl, who co-chairs the commission along with West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
Linda Losey, who had never owned a farm before, started Bloomery Plantation Distillery in 2011 after deciding to try her hand at making limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur. The distillery uses many of its home-grown products in its drinks — “Moonshine Milkshake” and hard lemonade among them — plucking fresh raspberries, pumpkin, lemons and ginger.
Now, the business generates nearly $1 million in annual sales and employs 14 people. Until about a year ago, 97 per cent of its business was selling onsite, but that’s changing, said Rob Losey, Linda’s ex-husband and business partner. The split is now 80-20, and Losey said that number will continue to shift.
“We’ll max out here. All the growth will be in external markets,” he said.
Employee Allison Manderino, 28, served up drinks at the small bar in a restored log cabin dating back to the 1800s. “I will be the poison police for you,” Manderino told a pair of customers before pouring herself a sample. After taking a swig, she confirmed, “Not poison.” Later, Manderino donned a lemon costume and danced with a customer.
Megan Bean, who recently visited the distillery from nearby Harpers Ferry, said West Virginia needs to promote tourism as much as possible.
“Especially with the locavore movement, slow food seems to be getting bigger and bigger all the time,” she said “If we can be a part of that, it’s a great thing.”
About 16 miles away in Martinsburg, West Virginia, family farm George S. Orr & Sons added a retail market in 1995. Retail sales now generate about 15 per cent of the business, up from 5 per cent just seven years ago, said retail market manager Katy Orr-Dove. The rest is mostly wholesale fruit sold to grocery stores.
Orr-Dove said the increase in retail sales was sparked by the “buy local” movement.
“People started having a greater interest in finding locally grown fruits and vegetables and they started looking for us,” she said. “At about the same time, we decided we wanted to reach out more and increased our advertising, our website, our e-newsletter.”
Orr-Dove said that ag tourism represents a good opportunity to help West Virginia’s economy.
In 2012, 174 farms in West Virginia generated about $1.2 million in agritourism — up from 112 farms and $970,000 in 2007, according to the USDA. The West Virginia University Extension Service will do an agritourism study starting this fall to determine its impact on tax revenues, jobs and income, said Doolarie Singh-Knights, an assistant professor at the extension.
“The possibilities are endless,” Orr-Dove said. “West Virginia is known for being mountainous farmlands. And there are a lot of people who have small farms already.”
One recent customer was first-time visitor Tanya Opperman.
“It’s important to know where your food’s coming from so we’re trying to do more of the local produce and the fresh produce, and then it’s fun to get the kids outside,” the Virginia resident said.
The state of Maryland offers promotions to encourage people to visit farms, and has also put up some signs directing tourists to agriculture sites.
“As farmers diversify their operations and connect more directly with consumers,” Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance said, “ag tourism has become a growing segment of Maryland agriculture and an important source of income for our farmers.”