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Greece Set to Gain in 2017 as Safe Destination

Greece is expected to gain from the instability in the wider Mediterranean region with pre-bookings setting the trend for 2017, Alpha Bank analysts reported this week.

According to the Alpha Bank assessment, which cites data from the National Bank of Greece, the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) and the Foundation of Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE), there is considerable tourism potential for 2017 with Greece remaining a steady and safe choice for holidaymakers.

As 2016 draws to a close, tourist arrivals are expected to reach 24.5 million against 23.5 million in 2015, excluding cruise travelers and despite the ongoing refugee crisis with resultant revenue however remaining at the same levels with last year.

Alpha Bank analysts also referred to the return of tourists from Russia, with the number up by 18.9 percent in the first nine months of 2016, against a drop of 62.1 percent in the corresponding period last year.

According to SETE meanwhile, the number of arrivals are also reflecting the positive trend for the new year with the country’s major airports welcoming 25.1 percent more visitors in October and 13.5 percent more in September demonstrating that the tourism season is extending beyond the traditional summer months of June, July and August, with autumn months now playing a crucial role in the overall performance of the sector.
(gtp)

Athens among the top 17 places to travel in 2017

Conde Nast Traveler published the list with the best places to travel in 2017.
According to the list, the best place to visit in 2017 is Canada.
Athens is fifth on the list.

 "Athens has always been known as an old city, that’s nothing new.
Instead, what is new is its burgeoning status as a modern arts capital: Look no further than the recently opened, Renzo Piano-designed, $623 million Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, which houses the National Opera and the National Library of Greece, sits on the biggest park in Athens, and is the first public building in Greece to achieve a Platinum LEED certification. The National Museum of Contemporary Art also partially reopened in a renovated brewery after a 12-year closure, and in April, the city will co-host documenta, the exhibition of modern and contemporary art that takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany (it’s the first time the hosting duties will be split between two cities).Though it’s long played second fiddle to other European capitals like Rome, and merely seen as a stopover point on the way to, say, Corfu, Athens has once again arrived."

Photo of the day..

South Crete, Damnoni beach...

CNTraveller: Greece voted best country to visit in the world!

What are your favourite countries to visit?
In our Readers' Travel Awards you told us you really can't get enough of Greece, which continues to capture your imagination with crowd-pleasing scores across the board.
You think Italy produces the best food (closely followed by France), the USA has the finest places to stay and South Africa is fantastic when it comes to value for money.
Yet when it comes to scenery, it seems no other destination can touch the vast open spaces and dramatic coastlines of Australia.
The Readers' Travel Awards celebrates the best of the best in travel, as voted for by people who love travel: the readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

CNTraveller

New Review on Tripadvisor: “4th visit and better than ever.”

The owners Eleni and Giorgos are exceptionally helpful and welcoming..

Reviewed yesterday 

It is a real pleasure to stay here hence our frequent returns!

Normally we do not visit the same place twice and this was our 4th stay. 

 

The owners Eleni and Giorgos are exceptionally helpful and welcoming and the apartments cleaned every day to a very high standard. 

 

Beach and shower towels are provided and changed whenever necessary and the beach is very close to the apartments. 

 

We visit in October and the temperature is just perfect, warm in the daytime and cooler in the evenings. 

 

Stayed October 2016, travelled as a couple.

See here: Tripadvisor

Plakiassuites: Ranked #1 of 49 Speciality Lodging in Plakias, Retyhymno - Crete, Greece!

  

 103 Reviews Certificate of Excellence

Two Greek islands among the best in the world

The readers of travel magazine “Conde Nast Traveler” included 2 Greek islands among the best in the world.

Over 300,000 readers of the famous tourist publication picked Mykonos and Crete in the top 15 list of best islands outside the US.

Photo of the day: Today at the beach...

Photo of the day: Autumn sunset

Video escape: The Beach is always a good idea!

Crete is located in the southeast part of the European continent and temperature never drops below 20º C from September until November.

The average sunshine totals seven hours.

Plakias is 35 kilometres south of Rethymno, on the southern coast of Crete on the Libyan Sea and the water temperature in the south shores (washed by the Libyan sea) reaches 23º C and the average air temperature is 26º C!

Mediterranean Cooking: The map of the traditional Greek Salad..

By: Νικόλας Δρόσος - Food Blogger |


Here’ s how to make the traditional Greek salad in a few steps. Just look at the photo and get inspired!
 Click on photo to enlarge

Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice 2016 Awards: Crete voted among the best islands in the world

Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked the best islands in the world outside the U.S. in the 2016 Readers' Choice Awards survey, from nearby Caribbean beaches to far-flung islands in Southeast Asia...

The largest Greek Isle, Crete is also one of the most distinctive, with its own unmistakable culture, landscape, and mythological history.
Make sure to visit the Minoan palaces in Knossos if you make it beyond the beach.

Pro tip: Skip the bumpy drive or three-hour hike to one of the most photographed spots in Crete. Balos Beach is most easily accessed by ferries from Kissamos port.

Getting there: Most flights to Crete connect in Athens, but visitors can also take the year-round ferry from Piraeus or the summertime ferry from Santorini.

Condé Nast Traveler  

Have a nice October! Autumn in Crete..

The experience of a lifetime!  

(source:VisitGreece)

It’s a common secret among travellers to Crete that summertime on the island is at least 2 months longer than most European destinations.  

The Telegraph had an article about autumn tourist destinations where Crete features as a warm and welcoming place. 

 The Austrian newspaper Kurier published a long praising article on the island describing it as a place where you can enjoy a laid back summer vacation in autumn and get to know local tradition. 

 The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail has included Crete in the six top European destinations for an autumn holiday, saying that people who prefer to extend their summer vacation all the way into October should visit Crete. 

One of the island’s biggest assets - apart from beaches - is the famous Cretan cuisine which you can enjoy all over the place.

The reason for all of the above is quite simple. Crete is located in the southeast part of the European continent and temperature never drops below 20º C from September until November. The average sunshine totals seven hours. Water temperature in the south shores washed by the Libyan sea reaches 23º C and the average air temperature is 26º C.
The atmosphere is limpid most of the time and the tall mountains are clearly defined against the horizon in every detail.
The summer’s blue sea waters change into new fascinating hues, the autumn winds fill the heretofore clear blue skies with amazing cloud shapes and the fairly limited rainfall is very welcome after the dry season has passed.
However swimming remains one of the activities you will definitely enjoy even in late October. Make a note that at this time of the year you will find that there are less tourists so you’ll get better holiday deals as prices are down compared to the high season.

 While you are on your autumn trip to Crete don’t miss the opportunity to visit the renowned historical sites, monuments and museums. The season’s mild weather will tempt you to discover inland secrets and the wide variety of flora and fauna, to visit picturesque mountainous villages as well as those of the lowlands, to follow the hiking trails, go mountaineering or cross breathtaking ravines such as the well-known Samaria Gorge, Kourtaliotiko Gorge etc.

  The end of the summer is the time for agricultural activities such as grape harvesting and sun-drying of the grape berries so as to produce raisins. Ploughing, sowing, grape pressing, wine and raki making are all activities that take place later in the fall. This time of year you can follow the traditional agricultural activities: participate in grape harvesting and pressing, go olive picking, watch the procedure of raki making in cauldrons- cauldron feasts, as it evolves into a traditional celebration, taste local products and learn about the way they are made in the island’s agritourism farms. Let’s bear in mind that traditional Cretan cuisine is based on fresh seasonal produce and that makes it all the more tasty not to mention healthier and more nutritious!