2 | [NEWS]

NEWS contents
ove it
Greek Tourism 2020: A proposal for European Union: its time to pr
the new development model 4
k people
Minister of Culture and Tourism to present was to continues to take while the Gree
When it was decided that Greece t to mana ge. As for tourism, the
'Greek Tourism 2020' at SETE 4 to join exert effor
enter the European Union and later t meas-
was the government has taken significan
the Euro, it was well known what etitive
Piraeus Port Authority's (PPA) presents the im- ures to make it attractive and comp
make up of the economy and what the 2011
"Cultural Coast Piraeus" program 5 d be in the even t a crisis for tourists to come to Greece in
plica tions woul l and
Minister of Culture and Tourism: Greece seems ear- tourist season and the Greek trave
would hit - and the crisis came much profe ssion als are doing their very
g re- tourism
to be coming out from the crisis 5 lier that anticipated, with devastatin
Greece best to bring tourists to Greece.
Tour conducted by the Secretary of State Mr. Nikitiadis sults for Greece. Bound to the Euro,
actions,
in Kos, Leros and Kalymnos 5 could not take monetary policy in an
of fis- As early as the first quarter of 2010
thus restricting actions in the field . 22,
Summer Holidays Expo 6 h requ ires legis lative inter- article of the Financial Times (Mar
cal policy, whic oso dema nds solid arity on
rnment 2010), “Barr
North Events, Greek Tourism in the Scandinavian market 6 vention, change in the way the gove behalf of
s and fi- Greece” and he got it in part on
Confederation of Business Rooms, Apartments (SEEDE) works and its control mechanism did not
work so Greece. We got the funds and we
denounces tactics of the Minister 6 nally, persuasion that all this will
le of Gree ce will align , com- go broke – yet.
that the peop
State proposes conversion to electronic tolls 7 supp ort. This is fine if you have
ply and be able
was not We say “yet” because Greece may
James Madison University students earn title of time but in the case of Greece time changes
n proved to make the necessary legislative
recognized eMarketer 7 an option and the European Unio k peo-
in place and the way it operates and the Gree
Spanish government subsidizes winter trips that it did not have mechanisms the time
most ple may support all this, but when
to Spain for 55+ 7 to confront this kind of a crisis and try's
Europ ean Unio n has much comes to repay the loan the coun
impo rtant , the be so exha usted maki ng it
econ omy may
to do before we can be a Union. tments
Duty Free Shops SA reopens distribution station for impossible – as no significant inves
condi-
untaxed diesel fuel 8
n de- are foreseeable under the current
The Museum of Cycladic Art all year round at the airport 8 Under pressure, the European Unio
problem, tions.
The Holiday Inn hotel on Attiki Odos has changed 8 cided to support Greece with its
with un-
in view of the effects on the Euro, to make
ean What else can the Europe Union do
Travelling News Nokia app. 9 realistic conditions. Later on the Europ they get their mon ey back and
only the sure that
Union will admit that the crisis was ruptcy
ITB Berlin eTravel World – added value for the Greece save the Euro from a possible bank
boom industries mobile travel services and social media 9 because of the internal makeup of
the in- of Greece?
8.2% Increase of passenger complaints against airlines 9 but a mass attack on the Euro from
terna tiona l mark ets. for hol-
Germanwings adds Tenerife to the spring of 2011 program 9 Tell their citizens to choose Greece
Gulf Air to commence flights to Geneva and Milan 9 and busin ess meet ings, rathe r than
by the idays
Never the less the conditions set is a pre-
Greece spend it somewhere else. Greece
European Union have to be met by infra-
Etihad to increase the frequency of their flights to ious mier destination with the necessary
and the Greek people while a feroc
five key destinations in Europe in 2011 10 launched structure
negative publicity campaign was
EasyJet to acquire new Airbus aircraft 10 nized or
by the international media. Orga ce” its
Singapore Airlines to begin Sao Paolo flights end-March 10 tive im- Its not a mater of “solidarity on Gree
at random the effects had a nega
partic- a mater of European Union.
pact on the Greek economy and in
Air France and KLM are to offer 11 weekly flights between al sec-
ular tourism, one of the most cruci they did
Paris, Amsterdam and Tripoli 11 When the USA was hit with 9/11,
tors which can contribute positively. ble, they
Hellenic Imperial Airways is planning to operate to not let New York squirm and crum
of Amer-
govern- proved they are the United States
USA and Canada 11 In view of the situation the Greek
and ica.
Air China to add second daily flight from ment has taken unbearable measures,
Los Angeles to Beijing 11
Etihad Airways
Hellenic Travelling
celebrated new offices in Athens 11
 [NEWS] | 3

Athens Training and Development Center

ACS Athens and

Athens Training and Development Center

will provide students and professionals with the

opportunity to learn online Marketing strategies.

These skills will translate into real life applications.

Additionally, participants are eligible to sit

for the CeMA Certification Examination
once they have successfully completed the four required courses.

For inquires call Tel.: 210 800 1029 to arrange a meeting

with a representative of the Athens Training & Development Center,
E-mail: info@athenstrainingcenter.gr, Web site: www.athenstrainingcenter.gr

www.travelling.gr
Δηλώσεις συμμετοχής και πληροφορίες σχετικά με το 9ο Συνέδριο του ΣΕΤΕ μπορείτε να βρείτε στο www.seteconferences.gr
4 | [NEWS]
GREEK TOURISM 2020:
A PROPOSAL
FOR THE NEW
DEVELOPMENT MODEL
From Left Mr Nikolaos Karamouzis, Mr Nikolaos Nanopoulos, Mr.
Pavlos Geroulanos and Mr Nikos Angelopoulos
"The 'Greek Tourism 2020' model aims to highlight the signifi-
cant role of tourism in the economic and social development of
the country. The proposal for a new model of development of
Greek tourism aims to become the starting point for imple-
mentation of the self-evident for the Greek economy and soci-
ety." This is SETE’s central message on their study with the
theme 'Greek Tourism 2020: Proposal for a new development
model'. The study is exclusively sponsored by Eurobank EFG.
During a presentation of the study, in the presence of political
leadership for tourism, the president of SETE, Mr Nikos An-
gelopoulos, remarked: "the proposal for a new model of devel-
opment of Greek tourism is basically a policy proposal that
should be managed with priority or even better a major cultur-
al change should be imposed. Today's romantic approach, with
which the public sector treats its relationship with tourism,
must be transformed into a technocratic approach with conti-
nuity and consistency. The current approach of the private sec-
tor, characterized by its intra sectoral isolationism, should be
developed into an extroverted leading role. It is a prerequisite
for any development effort, that the state be aware, that tourism
is an essential sector of the economy with broader prospects
than other sectors of the economy, with an externalization of
more than 80% of its activities in labor-intensive firms and the
largest, compared with other sectors of the economy, contribu-
tion to regional development. In the past and until today the
public contribution to both the competitiveness of the Greek
tourism product and the creation of the appropriate and neces-
sary infrastructure has been weak. Therefore, crucial for the fu-
ture of Greek tourism is the change of attitude of its political
forces with respect to this very important sector of economy,
tourism."
On the part of Eurobank EFG, CEO Mr Nikolaos Nanopoulos, and
Mr Nikolaos Karamouzis, Deputy CEO, reiterated once again the
Bank's strategic option for improving competitiveness and sup-
porting Greek firms and amongst them those in the tourist in-
dustry.
From Left Mr Nikolaos Karamouzis, Mr Nikos Angelopoulos and
Mr. George Drakopoulos
Specifically, Mr. Nanopoulos stated: "Over time, tourism con-
tributes significantly to economic growth and employment, in
the broad sense it contributes about 17-18% of the GDP of our
country.
The current challenges to our tourism need interventions that
should be taken with insight, modern concept and vision, not
only by the state and private entities. It is a long-term plan need-
ed to identify alternative forms of development in this area with
quality standards and be friendly to the environment. The com-
mon objective is to move onto tourism, with a different devel-
opment model from the past, and to produce a diverse, attrac-
tive and competitive tourist product to be displayed dynamical-
ly and to respond to changing global demand."
"As a Group, we are firm patrons of Greek tourism, with today’s
portfolio of loans to tourism businesses of over 1.5 billion Eu-
ros," said Mr Karamouzis, adding that, "this amount represents
only approximately 20% of the overall funding of the tourism in-
dustry in Greece, making Eurobank EFG a leading power in fi-
nancing. We are flexible in restructuring hotel debts having
completed a restructuring of 400 million Euros. We strengthen
the capital of tourism enterprises by having allocated more than
270 million Euros to more flexible funding, such as discounted
claims by tour operators and renovations for hotels and other
forms of capital."
Mr George Drakopoulos, SETE General Manager, presenting the
proposal for a new model of development of Greek tourism,
said that an integrated approach in each case is open to im-
provement interventions. The proposal describes the frame-
work and guidelines of the new model by analyzing the devel-
opmental aspects of Greek tourism over the next decade. The
study is available at www.greektourism2020.gr.
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND
TOURISM TO PRESENT
'GREEK TOURISM 2020'
AT SETE
Minister of Culture
and Tourism
Mr. Pavlos Geroulanos
“Let me begin by saying 'may it be very good year to all. Happy
New Year to your families. May it be a good year for tourism.
Because this year may prove to be good for everyone's targets,
but it is more essential that it proves to be very important for
our common goals and shared ambitions.
The research project 'Greek Tourism 2020' is a study on the full
range of tourism and concerns the whole of Greece. And it is a
study that looks ahead and the way that Greece will be devel-
oped over the next ten years. Because today, we share the goal
of balanced development, a development that builds and does
not consume our comparative advantages, what is good for
tourism is good for the country. ... If we achieve a common goal,
which we have been repeating for years, it would have direct
benefits for all. Extending the tourist season will bring profits,
opening new markets will reduce the risk of the industry, and
the geographic expansion of development will create jobs in ar-
eas currently affected. That is why this study comes at a crucial
moment. Now that tourism can be the driving force for the
Greek economy. At a time when the government has demon-
strated its readiness to make the substantial cuts the sector
needs.
Each one of us will help with their own strengths and we would
like to emphasise three things:The smarter promotion of the
country, serving a distinct strategy for each market, using the
new tools immediately. The structures and criteria to ensure
quality in everything we do for tourism so that we are not de-
preciated as a country. You have seen in your own businesses
how harsh the Internet can be. And on the exploitation of prop-
erty, the infrastructure and our comparative advantages to re-
store Greece to dynamic international destinations.
Obviously, we want the expertise and the implementation of
these goals to be made with you."

PIRAEUS PORT AUTHORITY'S
(PPA) PRESENTS
"CULTURAL COAST
PIRAEUS" PROGRAM
From Left Mr Paul Geroulanos, Mr. Theodoros Pangalos and
Mr George Anomeritis
With the participation of the Deputy Prime Minister Theodoros
Pangalos, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Paul Geroulanos,
the Minister of Maritime Affairs & Fisheries Islands Mr. John
Diamandis, the Secretary-General-Ministry of Tourism Ms Lina
Mendoni and introduced by the President and CEO of PPA SA,
Mr. George Anomeritis, the general layout (master plan) of the
Cultural Coast of Piraeus was presented to operators of Piraeus
and the media.
The presentation was attended by MP's from Piraeus Mr G Nio-
tis, Mr D Karidis, Mr D Lytzeris, John Tragakis, Tassos Nerantzis
and Vaitsios Apostolatos, the Mayor of Piraeus Mr Vassilis
Michaloliakos, the Vice Prefects of Pireaus Mr. Christou and Mr
D Katsikaris, the mayors of the wider region of Piraeus, the
presidents of the Chambers of Commerce and professional
bodies of the city, the former Prefect Mr. J. Michas, the former
Mayor of Piraeus, Mr. P. Fasoulas, representatives of Nautilus et
al who took the floor with positive comments and observations
regarding the whole project. The master plan was explained to
attendees by the project leader architect George Arahovitis.
As stressed by Mr. Anomeritis in his introduction, five main ob-
jectives of this project are to change the development model of
Piraeus; combine tourism and culture, strengthening and trans-
forming the cruise area along with other works of Piraeus as a
major cruise port (hub) on the Mediterranean; connect the city
with the port, creating spaces and activities on the beachfront
for residents of the region; utilize the existing buildings, which
have for decades remained unused and undeveloped, to the
benefit of all; showcase the archaeological wealth of Piraeus
utilising the most ancient site of the Port, the area of the Ee-
tioneia Gate.
[NEWS] | 5
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND from the tourism reality. And I am not referring to the poor eco-
nomic benefits, which are understandable in today's economic
TOURISM: GREECE SEEMS climate, but to the antigrowth institutional framework intro-
duced.
TO BE COMING OUT In concluding, he indicated that the new HCH administration
managed to reduce the operating costs of the chamber by 20%
FROM THE CRISIS in 2010, compared with 2009 by streamlining costs, reducing
Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr Pavlos Geroulanos, ad- operating costs and the expenses of public relations and grants.
dressing the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH), said: "The past
year was difficult, but it left behind an important message: that
if we work together on common goals, we can achieve the goal TOUR CONDUCTED BY THE
that we aim for. If we continue our collaboration in 2011, it could
be a landmark year. A year where the country will be recorded
SECRETARY OF STATE MR.
as a destination not only for its beaches but also for everything
else that we appreciate, where investments that will help us
NIKITIADIS IN KOS, LEROS
upgrade our tourism product will return, and where tourism will AND KALYMNOS
pave the road to recovery for the Greek economy.
These are our main objectives:
Smarter promotion for our country; upgrading the quality of
services; and better utilisation of our property.
But to achieve them we must continue this cooperation. We will
not always agree but where ever we do, we must ensure we
make significant headway. I started by saying that this year will
be judged quantitatively and qualitatively. Because we cannot
keep saying that we want the role of tourism arrivals to be re-
inforced and to only count arrivals ignoring basic issues such
as Where do visitors come from? Where do they go? And how
much do they spend?
If we highlight our ability to collaborate, if we set common goals
and fight for them and if we regain the ability to plan long term
A four-day tour of Kos, Kalymnos and Leros was conducted by
and remain faithful to our design, then tourism will not only be
the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr George Nikitiadis
the driving force of the economy and industry, but will also high-
to promote the new government strategy for tourism. Mr Niki-
light how a modern state is able to design and deliver a distinct
tiadis started his tour from Kos where after the liturgy of the
and effective strategy."
Epiphany and the blessing of waters (6th January) he met with
Greek society must align with the tourism industry
local authorities to discuss the restoration of balanced develop-
The need for a strong alliance of Greek society with the tourism
ment of tourism in the region, which lags behind in comparison
industry so that the branch can be a growth engine for the econ-
with other developed tourist areas of the island.
omy of the country was expressed by the HCH President, Mr
The Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism went to Kalymnos
George Tsakiris during his speech at the event for the cutting of
where he visited the archeological museum on the island, the
the HCH New Year cake.
mansion of the Vouvalis family, who were benefactors of the is-
As he pointed out, there is an immediate need a for large al-
land and many other historical and cultural monuments. Then
liance of civil servants, public administration, industry profes-
Mr Nikitiadis attended the first meeting of the new council elect-
sionals and those that affect the industry in order to reverse the
ed in the recent elections, where he presented and developed
negative trend of tourist revenue in the country which is main-
the government's strategy to promote alternative forms of
tained by 20% of the workforce in Greece.The HCH President
tourism that will exhibit each destination individually, with the
said: "We all need to embrace the fact that tourism has con-
aim of attracting visitors 52 weeks a year.
tributed to this country’s existence and has operated this way
At theVouvalis family mansion in Kalymno the Deputy Minister
for decades.
gave special emphasis to rock climbing tourism for which Ka-
Nevertheless, institutional representation, the pervasiveness
lymnos, with its rock climbing areas, is known worldwide and
and the participation of tourism in the decisions that concern it,
has asked local authorities to proceed directly to an integrated
has over time been disproportional resulting in suboptimal per-
planning of tourism promotion and the development of the is-
formance. An example is the new investment law that was
land.
drafted and presented in absentia to the industry and removed
news.travelling.gr
6 | [NEWS]
The Deputy Minister participated in a meeting held at the Leros
City Hall on tourism development of the island. Mr Nikitiadis re-
iterated his call to social institutions to create a unified body for
the promotion and development of tourism on Leros and
pledged to inform the Minister for Health on the shortcomings
of the hospital.
SUMMER HOLIDAYS EXPO
The most important event for tourism, just before the beginning
of summer, will be the Summer Holidays Expo, to be held in
Athens from 20-22 May, 2011, at the Exhibition Centre Helexpo
Palace. The Summer Holidays Expo is being held in Athens for
the first time, after four consecutive annual events in Thessa-
loniki, and as in previous years has the support of the Ministry
of Culture and Tourism and the Greek National Tourist Organi-
zation (GNTO). The Summer Holidays Expo is an exhibition on
summer holidays. Aimed at professionals in the tourism mar-
ket, its goal is to attract the general public, which traditionally
plans its summer vacations during that period. The first mes-
sages from the tourist industry and businesses (hotels, ship-
ping etc.) are particularly encouraging in terms of opportunity
that will be given to them to participate and showcase their
services. The Summer Holidays Expo is geared to the promotion
of Greek tourism to the inhabitants of Attica and the surround-
ing area. At a time when support for tourism is very important,
it is expected that the organization of the Summer Holidays Ex-
po in Athens will support professionals of the field. The Sum-
mer Holidays Expo also seeks to attract the country's regional
areas, which with their newly created structure, through the im-
plementation of Kallikrates, will have the opportunity to present
their tourist destinations.
The planning of the event and by using every means possible,
Helexpo will give the fresh summer holiday exhibition the boost
that it deserves, something which is missing from the Attica
basin. Helexpo's cooperation with the electronic platform Re-
spond on Demand (with members consisting of 700 Greek ho-
tels) will attract individual hotel entries from all over Greece of-
fering highly competitive prices to the exhibition. Special offers
from exhibitors, with the proper promotion, will attract visitors
to the Helexpo Palace, to "seal" their vacation. Information:
Chryssa Krassa, tel: (+30) 2310-291293, e-mail: summerholi-
days@helexpo.gr
NORTH EVENTS,
GREEK TOURISM IN THE
SCANDINAVIAN MARKET
Since 2006, North Events (extension of C & L Media) is the only
company actively engaged in promoting Greek tourism in for-
eign markets, especially the Scandinavian market. They have
presented a remarkable project and consistency, with large
campaigns at all IKEA stores in Sweden, with five yearly publi-
cations, starting from 2008, about Greek tourism, culture and
gastronomy in five local languages, in England, Denmark, Swe-
den, Norway and Finland, road shows for the Dodecanese
Agency Tourism and the Kos Municipal Tourism Organization,
in six major cities and capitals of Scandinavia and large cam-
paigns in all major supermarket chains in Sweden. This year
the planned activities of North Events include greater participa-
tion in the International Tourism Fair of Norway, the REISELIV,
from 13-16 January, 2011. With an 80 square meter booth re-
served for tourism professionals who will be located directly
between the booths of Spain and Turkey. Co-exhibitors at the
booth with the distinctive title "Kalimera Hellas" will include:
SANI RESORT, AQUILA HOTELS & RESORTS, BLUE GR Mami-
dakis Hotels, GIANNOULIS HOTELS & RESORTS, RODOS PALACE,
RETHYMNOTELS (MINOS MARE, THEARTEMIS PALACE, IDEON,
MINOS), RETHYMNO MARE, ATLANTIS BEACH, KRITI BEACH, KA-
LYVES BEACH, KIANI BEACH, TREKKING HELLAS, GREECE DIVE
GUIDE, etc. Subsequent events at which North Events will par-
ticipate dynamically, highlighting Greek tourism and its profes-
sionals are the events of TUR - International Tourism Exhibition
in Sweden - International Tourism Fair in Sweden, TUR-TRAIN
PARTNER for 300 professionals and journalists who will be
transported to the exhibition by train , the ARCHIPELAGO FAIR -
as a unique tourist destination and Sponsored by Greece, MAK-
TA - International Tourism Fair in Finland with the magazine
KREIKKA 2011; and continues with other publications in Swe-
den, - GREKLAND 2011 - the only one for Greek tourism and
Kalimera Hellas, which will now be distributed through the In-
terpress Norge to an extensive retail network across Norway.
Many other actions and initiatives are being carried out with the
establishment of the first Greek Centre for Tourism and Trade,
which aims to have permanent presentation of Greece in the
Scandinavian market through its offices in Norway. The project
has already generated the best reviews and warm congratula-
tions at a time where the economic crisis in Greek enterprises
needs an outlet to stable and developed markets. Characteris-
tically we should mention that Scandinavia with a total popula-
tion of 25 million, sends 2 million visitors to Greece every year,
while of those Norway (population 4.85 million) sends more
than 400,000 Norwegians every year without a GNTO office op-
erating in the country.
For the coordination with the other major Scandinavian mar-
kets, the partner company offices in Sweden and Finland are in
a position to meet every business need and service with a thor-
ough knowledge of the market. The strategic goal is also to pro-
mote the alternative tourism product - the other Greece -
through strategic partnerships with TREKKING HELLAS (exclu-
sive agent for Scandinavia), Greek diving tourism (through a
strategic partnership with the Dive Guide Greece) and many oth-
er specific kinds of tourism such as the Guest Inn, Bird Watch-
ing, etc.
CONFEDERATION OF
BUSINESS ROOMS,
APARTMENTS (SEEDE)
DENOUNCES TACTICS OF
THE MINISTER
The exclusion from the new investment incentives law consti-
tutes a flagrant injustice to the branches of small and medium
sized enterprises (SMEs) involved with Rooms and Furnished
Apartments throughout the country. In the midst of acute finan-
cial crisis, 40,000 companies, thousands of professionals and
their families are being led to stagnation. The ministerial deci-
sion to exclude an entire productive sector of tourism from the
draft law "Enhancing Private Sector Investment for Economic
Development, Entrepreneurship and Regional Cohesion”, was
the culmination of the established practice of the Minister for
Competitiveness and Regional Development, which defiantly
rejects all efforts by the S.E.E.D.D.E. for social dialogue.We con-
demn the degrading practice of the Minister, who saw fit to de-

cide on our industry without even having the sensitivity to hear
our views.
We declare our intention to work with all our strength so that
there are equal and unconditional viability prospects of the in-
dustry and national economy in general. In a final effort for di-
alogue, we urge the Ministry of Competitiveness and Regional
Development, to abandon the short-sighted view on tourism
and integrate all of our businesses in new investment incen-
tives. We demand that the rules of fair competition be set for
our industry with four and five star luxury hotels, which are the
only ones included.
We declare to all political and social forces that the impact on
regional cohesion in the local economy and balanced econom-
ic and social development of the country will be dramatic, cre-
ating a two-speed tourism: the luxury tourism for the minority,
who will enjoy all the privileges and a miserable and decadent
tourism for the majority, which will operate on the fringes of the
real economy with no growth prospects
STATE PROPOSES
CONVERSION TO
ELECTRONIC TOLLS
The Deputy Minister for Infrastructure, Transport & Networks,
Mr John Magriotis, in answering journalists' questions on the
problems encountered in the construction of highways and in-
formation that the banks that finance projects and concession
are"threatening" to stop the project stated:"The problems are
many. Many start from the rough and hasty manner in which
the concessions were made in 2007, which were ratified by Par-
liament in the same period.
We had pointed out the big problems then in Parliament. In
these concessions the New Democracy government had com-
mitted itself that within 12 months from the start of each con-
cession all areas would have been delivered, after being expro-
priated, so that the building fronts could be developed.By April
2009 they should have been completed. As all networks should
have been moved, they should also have addressed problems
with the environment and archaeological finds.
In October 2009 when we took over the government of the coun-
try, expropriations had reached the weighted average of 15%.
They currently stand at 60% and there are no major problems at
hardly any of the construction fronts to be developed.
Problems were also created by the decisions of the State Coun-
cil, which banned the construction of roads in major sections
due to environmental concerns. Problems were created during
the last year due to the reduction of traffic flow as a result of the
economic crisis. As it is known, a portion of the funding for the
construction of highways is generated from tolls charged by
concession operators.
The government is determined to defend the projects because
they are necessary for the country. It is determined to defend
public interest and the tax-paying Greek citizen. We believe that
both concession operators, and the banks involved in financing
the project will comply with the contracts signed. The state will
honor its own contractual obligations. We've started a discus-
sion with the concessionaire and its creditor banks to find solu-
tions to problems, in both technical and economic aspects.
We believe that if all sides fulfill their obligations, Negotiations
will have been completed by the end of March and we will pres-
ent the contracts to parlaiment, as required by law.Included
within the proposals of the state, is the conversion to electron-
ic tolls so that they are fair and their reduction for the next 30
years, for which the present concessions, as signed in 2007
would be in force. We ask for the understanding of the citizens,
however; we live in a just country and must all keep our com-
mitments."
JAMES MADISON
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
EARN TITLE OF
RECOGNIZED EMARKETER
Thirty-six students at James Madison University from the au-
tumn class received their CeMA certificate. The program pro-
vides the necessary certification to students who have demon-
strated their abilities in the arena of e-marketing. The CeMA
certificate is recognized by the eMarketing Association (CeMA).
All students are now certified eMarketing Associates after the
successful completion of their studies.
Athens Training & Development Center
The Athens Training & Development Center is the representative
for the CeMA international certification in Athens and the offi-
cial body for Greece and Cyprus. In collaboration with the Amer-
ican Community Schools (ACS) of Athens, the educational or-
[NEWS] | 7
ganisation provides the necessary studies for those con-
cerned.Information and Registration,
Tel. 210-8001029
E-mail: info@athenstrainingcenter.gr,
Web site: www.athenstrainingcenter.gr
SPANISH GOVERNMENT
SUBSIDIZES WINTER TRIPS
TO SPAIN FOR 55+
The Spanish government subsidizes winter trips to Spain for
people over 55 years old thanks to the programme 'European
Travel for Seniors'. The second implementation of the program
began last October and will continue until next April. Older peo-
ple can discover tourist destinations such as Andalusia and the
Balearic islands and enjoy their climatic conditions, culture and
gastronomy.
The program 'European Travel for Seniors' is an innovative
project, developed on an international level, which aims to or-
ganize partially subsidized trips to Spain for seniors over 55 liv-
ing in the European Union, during the mid and low seasons. The
program aims to stimulate economic activity beyond the sum-
mer, promoting active employment policies and its contribution
to the creation of the idea of European citizenship and to high-
light the active participation of the target group.
The program is open to people over 55 years old and who may
be accompanied by someone who, even though not fulfilling the
age requirements can enjoy the same conditions. The final price
of the basic package is 410 euros, which includes a subsidy
from the Spanish government. The price of the trip includes
roundtrip tickets, transfer from airport-hotel-airport, accom-
modation in 4 star hotels, full board, two tours and additional
travel insurance.
Travel Senior is the Spanish body responsible for the manage-
ment of the trips. Their partners in Greece are the travel agen-
cies Kyklos Travel and Pamvotis Travel, who are responsible for
the marketing of tourist packages. Tourists can take advantage
of the offer only at those agencies, thanks to a grant given by
the Spanish Government and the regions of Andalusia and the
Balearic Islands.
During the first period, about 45,000 tourists from different
countries who were eligible to participate in the program visit-
ed Spain, with Greeks benefitting the most from this initiative. In
fact, one out of three tourists who visited Spain due to this ini-
tiative was Greek, numbering some 15,000 elderly people.
The programme 'European Travel for Seniors' is part of the
Preparatory Action called 'Calypso' launched by the European
Union and aimed at promoting tourism in all Member States.
For more information, please visit: www.europesenior-
tourism.eu.
news.travelling.gr
8 | [NEWS]
DUTY FREE SHOPS SA
REOPENS DISTRIBUTION
STATION FOR UNTAXED
DIESEL FUEL
The company Duty Free Shops SA is relaunching its service sta-
tions distributing Tax-free diesel fuel at the border stations Kipi-
Evros-Kakkavia under the following conditions, as defined by
the decision of the Minister of Finance:
1. The sale concerns only the disposal of untaxed diesel to pub-
lic transport vehicles and not gasoline or any other fuel;
2. Vehicles must bear registration plates from other countries
outside the EU;
3. Drivers must be nationals of a non-EU country;
4. The same vehicle cannot be refueled with diesel more than
once in 72 hours.
The company has and will continue to maintain an electronic file
of documents, evidence of vehicles and drivers, and the supply
dates of each vehicle. Mr George Koutsolioutsos noted: "The re-
opening of Diesel Selling Stations at the border gives new im-
petus to the Group Folli Follie. We are committed to the strict
compliance of all the necessary conditions for the purchase and
sale of diesel to combat smuggling.
The reopening of the service stations does not affect the local
economy, but instead helps to stimulate it, to create conditions
for healthy competition and the employment of human re-
sources.The closing down of the service stations supplying un-
taxed diesel fuel in 2006 had negative consequences for the
company and the Greek government, including:
1. Fall in the share price of the company;
2. Reduction of the workforce by 270 people;
3. Loss of revenue for the government of 5 million Euros in 2007,
7 million Euros in 2008, 10 million Euros in 2009 and approxi-
mately 8.5 million Euros in 2010. These represent revenues
from income taxes and insurance contributions. With the re-
opening of service stations distributing tax-free diesel the ben-
efits for the Greek government will be much more;
4. Also the benefits of consumption in the local market must be
taken into account; this is estimated at over 2 million Euros an-
nually;
5. The company's activity has contributed and will once again
contribute to combat tax evasion and smuggling fuel.
Mr Velentzas said: "The Company is listed on the Athens Stock
Exchange and is accountable to investors for the maintenance of
its interests. The reopening of the service stations distributing
tax-free diesel fuel will develop and postively change the ad-
verse consequences the withdrawal of the operation had and
will give new impetus to both the company's revenue and the
Greek government."
THE MUSEUM OF
CYCLADIC ART ALL YEAR
ROUND AT THE AIRPORT
The Museum of Cycladic Art and Athens International Airport
announced their collaboration in a special exhibition area of the
airport where excerpts from major temporary exhibitions or
permanent collections will be displayed during various periods.
The first presentation of a permanent exhibition at the Museum
of Cycladic Art, titled 'Scenes from Everyday Life in Antiquity',
will run from 17 January to 30 April, 2011. The exhibition invites
visitors to take a brief journey through space and time. Starting
from the world of gods, heroes and love, the viewer continues
to tour the world of people and monitor the activities of women
in private, and men in their private and public, religious life and
beyond, the kingdom of the underworld. The exhibition is divid-
ed into nine sections: Gods and Heroes, With Wings of Love,
Marriage and Grooming, Women's Activities, Sports, Sympo-
sium, The Athenian Agora, War, Caring for the Dead.
The exhibition 'Scenes from Everyday Life in Antiquity' will be
held at the airport arrivals hall (Entry 1). The venue is accessi-
ble to all passengers and visitors at the airport and remains
open 24 hours a day.
Also, in the context of this cooperation, excerpts from contem-
porary art exhibition 'The Last Grand Tour' from theThe Muse-
um of Cycladic Art will be featured and the cycle ends with
scenes from the archeological exhibition 'Barren Line', organ-
ized by the Museum in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture
and Tourism. Professor Nicholas Chr. Stampolidis is the Cura-
tor, and Director of the Museum of Cycladic Art.
THE HOLIDAY INN HOTEL
ON ATTIKI ODOS HAS
CHANGED
The Holiday Inn hotel on Attiki Odos has changed... with a new
name and a fresh look to welcome the arrival of 2011. The
world's largest hotel group announced in October 2007 the re-
launching of the hotel Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. The
aim of the group is to create a more modern environment, en-
hance quality of both services and products, and create a con-
sistency in the 3,200 hotels listed with the name Holiday Inn.
The Holiday Inn provides guests with a comfortable and relax-
ing stay and focuses on things that matter most to customers,
such as friendly service and improved sleep services ensuring
the ultimate in relaxation. The very first sample of the comple-
tion of the change is apparent even before you enter the build-
ing: the logo of the Holiday Inn brand has changed. It is now
fresher and more youthful with vibrant colors and a leaner look.
The sense of the modern home continues at the entrance to the
hotel and guests are welcomed into an environment similar to
all Holiday Inns by a common musical mat that alternates from
an intense pace to a relaxing one during the course of the day.
The Holiday Inn on Attiki Odos has undergone another change
as well. It is now an airport hotel renamed Holiday Inn Athens
Airport. A rich American breakfast buffet is served from 05:30 in
the morning, the bulletin board is in real time from the airport
for arrivals and departures of flights, and free transportation
with the hotel's mini bus to the airport are only few of the fac-
tors that guarantee guests of the Holiday Inn Athens Airport will
have a memorable stay!
TRAVELLING NEWS
NOKIA APP.
Download the Nokia app. for Travelling News for free and see
the daily top news from your mobile.Travelling News now on
your mobile. Watch news that interests you wherever you are!

ITB BERLIN ETRAVEL
WORLD – ADDED VALUE
FOR THE BOOM
INDUSTRIES MOBILE
TRAVEL SERVICES AND
SOCIAL MEDIA
Market segment expands with arrival of new exhibitors – eTrav-
el specialists discuss social media and mobile strategies for
business travel and tourism industry
With leading new names participating and innovative topics on
the agenda the Mobile Travel Services section is repositioning it-
self with the eTravel World Forum at ITB Berlin from 9 to 13
March 2011 as a trend-setting platform for mobile travel serv-
ices and social media. In Hall 7.1c trade visitors at the ITB rep-
resenting the business travel and tourism industry can find out
about the latest mobile computing, augmented reality und social
media trends from lectures due to be held on the eTravel stage.
At the eTravel Lab opinion-formers and practitioners will invite
visitors to workshops and seminars for an in-depth exchange of
views about the mobile solutions of tomorrow.
Workshops and papers on digital travellers, apps
and mobile strategies
Thus for example Bianca Keybach, Managing Director of Ober-
staufen Tourismus Marketing GmbH, will talk about a social
media campaign called ”You are Oberstaufen“ and the pioneer-
ing role it played in the launch of Google Street View. Klaus
Tusche, Director of Marketing, Partnerships & Leisure Sales
with Avis, will relate the experiences of Avis and Budget when
they first made use of social media. Using information from a
recent survey, Dr. Hagen Sexauer, Principal, Sempora Consult-
ing, will highlight the challenges facing management as a result
of the all-conquering iPad and iPhone. A workshop run by Boris
Padovan, Regional Vice President SITA, the world’s leading spe-
cialist for transport communications and IT, will examine the
”digital traveller”. Using the findings of two surveys based on
2,500 interviews with customers at seven international airports
in core markets, the workshop will analyse passenger behav-
iour and expectations and discuss ways for the eTravel industry
to develop solutions. Stefan Wagner of mvolution will hold a
workshop showing how tour operators can establish targeted
and sustainable mobile strategies that do not simply rely on
Facebook. The results of several surveys are also keenly await-
ed: they are “web2.0 in the Tourism Industry – the status quo in
2011“ (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft HTW Berlin), as
well as a comparative study of the use of mobile technology by
private consumers in Europe (Hochschule Heilbronn in collab-
oration with IPSOS Deutschland).
[NEWS] | 9
During the PhoCusWright New Media Summit on Thursday, 10
March 2011, travel bloggers from around the world will ex-
The specialized staff of the CAA has already resolved 75% of the
passenger cases, while the rest are in the process of final set-
change their experiences and discuss new strategies and tech-
nologies. This will take place at the eTravel World event in the
tlement. Eleven companies that were found to be in non-com-
pliance were fined. Under EC Regulation 261/2004, airlines are
auditorium in Hall 7.1c, and in contrast to the remainder of the required to pay damages and provide assistance (rest in hotels,
programme at the PhoCusWright@ITB Berlin convention this meals, etc.) where there is an undue delay or cancellation of
part will mainly address bloggers. their flights or held responsible for damaged or lost luggage.
The stage is set for exhibitors
The amount of compensation increases in relation to the num-
ber of miles of the flight. Under the slogan "Do not stay indiffer-
The eTravel World is in a central location, in the Mobile Travel
Services section in Hall 7.1c. This year Komoot, the winners in
ent", the CAA invites travelers who are suffering to call the rel-
evant office (Tel: 210-8916150, Fax: 210-8916193). Also, at all the
the “start-up” category of last year’s VIR Innovation award, as country's airports travelers may contact the office of the Airport
well as international enterprises such as Vodafone, Voyavo Manager or file a complaint at the airport check-in counter.
from the US and Leadcall from the UK will be represented at the
fair for the first time. Also making their debut at the world’s
leading travel trade show are TravelSIM from Estonia, World-
mobi from the UK, and A1Telekom Austria AG.
Dr. Martin Buck, Director Competence Center Travel & Logistics,
GERMANWINGS ADDS
Messe Berlin: “The eTravel World combines valuable knowledge TENERIFE TO THE SPRING
on practical matters with opportunities for fascinating dialogue
with leading industry players from the eTravel sector. The dis- OF 2011 PROGRAM
play section has grown enormously and in 2011 there will be
significantly more exhibitors from abroad. With the Travel Tech-
nology section so close by, naturally people will also want to
visit the technology providers here as well.“ The fact that so
many exhibitors from the Mobile Travel Services are back re-
flects its continuing success. Thus in 2011 Clanmo, mvolution,
Pausanio, Tourias Mobile and TouristMobile, for example, will
once again be at the fair.
Visitors can also find out about partners and sponsors such as
the tourism lounge, TNOOZ, Ipsos, Herestay and Smartrunner
from information counters at the eTravel World in Hall 7.1c. The
ITB Berlin eTravel World is a project jointly organised by ITB
Berlin, FAKTOR 3 AG and Akademie Neue Medien.
Germanwings announced the launch of flights to the magical
island of Tenerife in their schedule of flights for the summer of
2011. Between September 24 and October 29, 2011, flights will
8.2% INCREASE OF be carried out every Saturday from their base in Cologne / Bonn
to the volcanic island of Tenerife.
PASSENGER COMPLAINTS Reservations can already be made on the company website,
www.germanwings.com.To pique our interest even further,
AGAINST AIRLINES Germanwings has the following offer: The sooner you book your
In 2010, complaints by travelers against airlines which infringe tickets, the cheaper the fares will be. During the autumn, where
the Community rules on the rights of passengers for undue de- the first rains begin and the first cool breeze knocks at our door,
lay or flight cancellation, denied boarding due to overbooking a trip to the largest of the Canary Islands sounds like a very at-
(overbooking) and for loss or damage luggage increased by tractive idea. During September and October, the island has an
8.2%. average temperature of 22 to 24 degrees Celsius and the cli-
Between January and December 2010, the Office of the Civil Avi- mate is ideal for swimming. Tenerife is the ideal place to gath-
ation Authority received 602 complaints, of which 517 related to er your strength before the start of a new winter. Along with
cancellations, flight delays or denials of boarding and the re- flights to Tenerife, Germanwings offers countless connections to
maining 85 about lost or damaged baggage. In 2009, during the more than 75 exciting destinations in Europe through its 5 Ger-
same period, the CAA had received 556 such complaints, so the man hubs (Cologne / Bonn, Stuttgart, Berlin / Schönefeld, Dort-
increase is close to 8.2%. mund and Hanover).
news.travelling.gr
10 | [NEWS]
GULF AIR
TO COMMENCE FLIGHTS
TO GENEVA AND MILAN
Gulf Air, the national airline of the Kingdom of Bahrain, recent-
ly announced the launch of flights in March 2011 to two major
European cities, Italy's Milan and Switzerland's Geneva. The link
to Milan will be served from 27 March with four flights a week,
while flights to Geneva will begin 29 March and will fly three
times a week.
At a press conference, CEO of Gulf Air Mr Samer Majali said:
"The launch of flights to these two new destinations is further
evidence of our commitment to link Bahrain with the region and
the world, including some of the most important financial mar-
kets in the world, with a view to supporting the financial and
commercial sector in Bahrain. This is a key component of our
new strategy announced in November 2009, which aims to
highlight Gulf Air as a commercially viable and successful com-
pany, while supporting the economic vision of 'Vision 2030' of
our country."Mr Majali added: "With the launch of flights to the
cities of Milan and Geneva, not only are there new opportuni-
ties for trade and tourism for citizens and businesses of Bahrain
and the region created, but these two cities also offer new com-
mercial and other opportunities for Bahrain, which is the gate-
way to the Gulf countries and beyond.
"Milan is one of the largest financial and business centers of the
European Union and the whole world, boasting the fourth high-
est GDP in Europe. From economy to fashion, from car design to
latest music trends, from architecture to other arts, the city of
Milan is undoubtedly one of the most popular destinations in
Europe, attracting millions of visitors every year.
"Geneva is the second largest city in Switzerland, it is the most
cosmopolitan city in Europe, and at least 40% of the population
comes from abroad. Counted among the ten richest cities in the
world based on purchasing power and built in a fantastic loca-
tion in the foothills of the Alps, with a wonderful climate, great
and glittering lake, as well as its beautiful parks and gardens,
Geneva has become one of the most sought-after ski resorts
for the member states of the Cooperation Council of Arab Gulf
states. But beyond tourist value, Geneva is home to more than
150 international, governmental and non-governmental agen-
cies, including the European Office of the United Nations, and
nearly 200 multinational companies, making it an ideal desti-
nation for business trips."We are glad we chose to integrate
these two important cities in our network, thus expanding the
choices of our passengers," concluded Mr Majali.
ETIHAD TO INCREASE
THE FREQUENCY OF
THEIR FLIGHTS TO
FIVE KEY DESTINATIONS
IN EUROPE IN 2011
Etihad Airways recently announced it will increase the frequen-
cy of their flights to five key destinations in Europe in 2011, as
well as their capacity to a number of other destinations,
strengthening its network and improving connectivity through
Abu Dhabi, with new aircraft in the fleet.
The availability of seats is growing dynamically, between June
and August 2011, including the following European destinations:
Paris, from 10 flights a week to two flights a day; Manchester,
from one a day to 10 flights a week; Geneva from five flights a
week to daily flights to Milan from five flights a week to daily
flights, and Brussels, from six to eight flights a week.
Etihad will also:
- Increase flights to Beijing from five flights a week to daily
flights;
- Plan to increase capacity on flights to Bangalore. The destina-
tion was launched on 1st January with four flights a week, and
will go to daily flights in the summer of 2011; and
- Operate an aircraft Boeing 777-300ER, with a capacity of 412
passengers to Chicago.
The strengthening of services means that from October 2011,
74% of Etihad's network, which consists of 66 destinations, will
be served by at least one flight a day.
James Hogan, General Manager of Etihad Airways, stated:
"While awaiting the delivery of new aircraft in 2011, our goal is
to offer at least one daily flight, and where possible two daily
flights, to key business destinations to attract a larger business
tourism market.
"Concurrently, the new schedule will help us provide a better
response to our network, making the passage from Abu Dhabi
more convenient for business and leisure trips.
"We will continue to seek the best ways to improve our aircraft
by searching for a better use of our aircrafts three classes (First,
Business & Economy), two seats (Business & Economy) and on-
ly Economy to confirm that we made the right choice with re-
gard to the capacity and product which we are offering to each
of our 66 destinations."
Mr Hogan noted that the increase in the frequency of flights will
be reinforced by the delivery of five new wide-body aircraft –
three A330-300s and two B777-300ERs – in the summer of
2011. Etihad will continue the modernization program for its
long and short range aircraft already belonging to the fleet. This
will bring greater functionality to the premium cabins and five
additional rows of seats in economy class for A330-300s air-
craft.
Mr Hogan said: "Abu Dhabi continues to grow as a hub for busi-
ness travel and leisure, and Etihad with its newly renovated air-
craft and increase in the frequency of flights, will ensure the
largest turnout of the number of travelers from the capital of
the United Arab Emirates over the coming years."
EASYJET TO ACQUIRE NEW
AIRBUS AIRCRAFT
EasyJet announced that it has entered into an agreement with
Airbus to exercise its rights to buy 15 A320s with delivery be-
tween 2011 and 2014 and to secure an option for new orders for
more than 33 A320 aircraft.
Additionally, 20 of the A319 aircraft that EasyJet had agreed to
accept from Airbus were converted on order for A320 aircraft.
This agreement ensures EasyJet's ability to continue its strate-
gy of controlled growth and targeted opportunities to enhance
profitability in its market share.
EasyJet creates significant benefits from flexibility in the sched-
uling of its fleet. The new aircraft orders in conjunction with the
suspension and extensions of leases create favorable condi-
tions for the growth in terms of seats allotted to be flexible and
be fully connected to the existing opportunities and economic
conditions
SINGAPORE AIRLINES TO
BEGIN SAO PAOLO
FLIGHTS END-MARCH
Singapore Airlines will begin flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil. If there
are no unexpected delays in regulatory approvals, the flights
will begin on 28 March, 2011.
Sales have already started and the purchase of tickets can be
made through their website www.singaporeair.com or their
authorized agents. Flights will operate three times a week on
the Singapore-Barcelona-Sao Paulo route. Singapore Airlines
will collaborate with Spanair for codeshare flights.

AIR FRANCE AND KLM ARE
TO OFFER 11 WEEKLY
FLIGHTS BETWEEN PARIS,
AMSTERDAM AND TRIPOLI
Starting 29 March 2011, Air France will begin operating 4 week-
ly flights to Tripoli out of Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and subse-
quently 5 weekly frequencies as from 6 June.
Flights between Paris and the Libyan capital will be operated by
Airbus A320, with a total seating capacity of 150: 30 in Premium
class and 120 in Voyageur (Economy) class.
This new route complements KLM’s 6 weekly flights between
Amsterdam-Schiphol and Tripoli, and allows Air France and
KLM to offer their customers a total of 11 weekly frequencies,
i.e., depending on the day, a twice-daily service to Libya.
Air France and KLM flight times to Tripoli
Paris-CDG / Tripoli
AF 3824: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday (*) and Sunday
Departure time: 13:30 - Arrival time: 16:40
(*) starting 6 June 2011
Tripoli / Paris-CDG
AF 3825: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
Departure time: 08:20 – Arrival time: 11:30
(*) starting 6 June 2011
Amsterdam-Schiphol / Tripoli
KL 573: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday
Departure time: 10:10 – Arrival time: 13:35
Tripoli / Amsterdam-Schiphol
KL 574: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday
Departure time: 14:35 - Arrival time: 18:10
HELLENIC IMPERIAL
AIRWAYS
IS PLANNING TO OPERATE
TO USA AND CANADA
Hellenic Imperial Airways is planning to operate to New York
and Chicago (USA) as well as to Montreal and Toronto (Canada)
starting May /June this year (2011) as part of its scheduled
flights network.
Also Hellenic Imperial Airways is planning to operate to Mel-
bourne (Australia) and other international destinations, which
are part of the network of the airline.
For these destinations it’s currently in the final stage of obtain-
ing the necessary permits and slots after having been appoint-
ed the designated carrier.
[NEWS] | 11
AIR CHINA TO ADD SECOND more Chinese and American-Chinese in Los Angeles County than
in any other part of the U.S. (360,000). When added to the numbers
DAILY FLIGHT FROM LOS of Chinese living in neighboring counties, the Southern California
region is home to the largest population of Chinese in the U.S.
ANGELES TO BEIJING LAX is the only U.S. airport to offer nonstop service provided by
China’s three major international air carriers: Air China to Beijing,
New International Flights To Generate Millions of Dollars
To Southern California Economy, Sustain Thousands of Jobs China Eastern to Shanghai and China Southern to Guangzhou.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and airport officials
cheered the recent announcement by Air China that the airline will
add a second daily flight between Los Angeles International Air-
port (LAX) and Beijing beginning Sept. 1, 2011. The added daily
ETIHAD AIRWAYS
service is expected to generate millions of dollars in annual eco-
nomic impact and sustain several thousand local jobs.
CELEBRATED NEW OFFICES
“Los Angeles and China have enjoyed a partnership of over 150 IN ATHENS
years based on historical, educational, cultural, business trade and
investment, and tourism ties,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “I am very
proud that Air China’s additional nonstop flight between LAX and
Beijing will strengthen these long-standing ties with one of the
most desirable cities in Asia and the growing markets of China.”
The Mayor added, “Gaining new and increased international air
service at LAX and LA/Ontario International Airport is a top prior-
ity for me because of the substantial contribution these flights
make to the economy of Southern California. Additional air serv-
ice to China allows Los Angeles to strengthen its position as the
nation’s leading gateway with China. This is a prime example of
the type of air service we want to attract to our airports.”
Dr. Zhihang Chi, Air China vice president and general manager for
North America, stated, “Our second flight out of LAX will allow Mr. Dimitris Karagkioules, Country Manager Greece,
passengers to conveniently and easily proceed to other cities in with Etihad Aiways hostesses.
China, Asia and elsewhere in the world, effectively increasing our Etihad Airways, celebrated the opening of their new offices at
competitiveness, market share and penetration. Beijing and be- 35, Kolokotroni Street and Voulis.
yond will be well served by this new flight, making China’s capi- In a festive mood the director of Etihad Airways in Greece, Dim-
tal city a true global hub.” itris Karagkioules and his team welcomed friends and associ-
Air China will use Boeing 747-400 aircraft for this service, with ates, who in turn, congratulated them and wished them "all the
flights arriving in Los Angeles at 11 a.m., and departing for Beijing best for the future" and "good flight" in the footsteps of the com-
at 1:20 pm. According to airline officials, this additional flight will panies excellent track record.
not only double the choices for passengers — especially busi-
ness travelers destined to Beijing or onward to domestic Chinese
Etihad Airways recently celebrated 7 years of operation, during
which the Company has won numerous awards for its servic-
cities — but it also creates excellent connections to other impor- es, including that for the "Best Airline in the World" for two con-
tant Asian destinations such as India, Vietnam, the Philippines and
Thailand.
secutive years and "Best First Class in the World "for three con-
secutive years and" Best First Class Cuisine in the World ", ac-
According to a study by the Los Angeles Economic Development
Corporation (LAEDC) – Southern California’s premier economic
cording to the official survey Skytrax. At the same time from
2003 until today,
development organization — one average daily, round-trip, Etihad has served over 26 million passengers to more than
transoceanic flight of wide-body aircraft to/from LAX generates 180,000 flights to destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Aus-
$623 million in economic output annually, and sustains 3,120 di- tralia, Europe, North America and Asia, with a brand new fleet of
rect and indirect jobs in Southern California with annual wages of 57 aircraft in 2010. Remarkable for the past year is the increase
$150 million. in revenues by 29.2 percent reaching US $ 2.951 million and the
Another LAEDC study shows China continues to be Los Angeles’ increase of passengers by 13.1 percent, to 7.099 million pas-
largest trading partner, with total two-way trade valued in 2009 at sengers.
$155.3 billion for the Los Angeles Customs District, which includes For bookings and further information call 210 3241010 and
the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and LAX. There also are fax 210 3225606.
www.travelling.gr
 Heliotrope Hotels
Mytilini - Lesvos A modern 2 hotels complex,
81100 Mytilene / Lesvos island - Greece - Helitrope Boutique Hotel cat A, 4**** and
Tel:0030 (2251) 045857 Heliotrope Resort Hotel cat B, 3***,
www.heliotrope.gr located in Varia, a beautiful & quiet suburb of the municipality
www.heliotropehotels.gr of Mytilini, Open all year,
Distances: Sea 30m, Beach Vigla 100m, Airport 7km,
Call us to arrange a discount on official room rates, all year round. Port 3km Theofilos/Terriade Museum 1km
The Heliotrope complex has swimming pool (seawater/
hydromassage), Pool bar, Receptions, Lounges, Snack bars,
Restaurant, Cafeteria, Meeting, Banquet, Internet & Multime-
dia (PC, Video slide, overhead projector etc] facilities, Business
Centre, Room service, Children’s play-ground, 6 Lifts.
All rooms with a seaview balcony, airconditioning, 20 satellite
TV-video, Pay TV, mini bar, direct-dial phone with Internet and
Fax facilities, safety box, music, central heating, bath or show-
er, hairdryer. Wireless dect phones are available.
Certain rooms with connecting door. Rooms for special needs.
Breakfast American buffet. Parking.

Meeting, congresses
Five airconditioned daylight conference halls with capacity of
800, persons total (in theatrical shape), with internet (wifi),
multimedia and banquet and live music facilities.

umTravelling AddendumTravelling AddendumTravelling AddendumTra