The historic “Christina O”, the beautiful yacht that once belonged to Aristotle Onassis, passed through the Isthmus of Corinth. Constructed in 1943 as the frigate Stormont (GRT 1602), it belonged to the Canadian Navy and during the Second World War was used as an escort vessel for convoys to transport war materiel to the Allied forces, taking part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Landings of Normandy. After the end of World War II, she was one of many surplus naval vessels. Onassis purchased the frigate for $34,000 and then spent $4 million converting it into a luxury state-of-the-art yacht. He named her after his daughter Christina. Following the death of Onassis, the yacht, based on his will, passed to his daughter Christina in 1978 in the ownership of the Greek State for use by the respective head of state. The vessel is effectively decommissioned. After 20 years it is bought by the shipowner Ioannis Pavlos Papanikolaou and renovated for the astronomical sum of 50 million dollars so that in 2001 it regains its lost glory. The yacht is now of Irish interest, offered for rent to international jet setters. The most recent major social event hosted on the legendary yacht is the wedding of the former famous model Heidi Klum with one of the Tokio Hotel group’s members Tom Cowlitz last August in Capri, Italy in the presence of 120 guests with the cost of the ceremony estimated at 3 million euros. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: George Onassis Adblock test (Why?)

Looking like he didn’t have a care in the world, outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was spotted in Greece doing some casual shopping and heading to visit his father at a residence, while the British were suffering big costs of living. Johnson, who resigned his post in July after a series of scandals but is staying on to run a so-called “Zombie Government” until a new Premier is chosen, walked through a supermarket with his wife Carrie in Nea Makri, northeast of Athens. A video showing them was mocked and parodied in the United Kingdom where he has become a fallen figure akin to one of the Three Stooges for his missteps and refusal to acknowledge any failures. In the clip, the pair could be seen in a supermarket placing food into two baskets on the floor. The couple both then appeared to walk away from the baskets leaving them on the ground, said the site Indy100 and other media. It was posted on a Johnson parody Twitter account, along with the caption: “Here I am in Greece, trying to solve the cost of living crisis.” One person wrote: “The way they fill the baskets then walks off, is some minion going to carry them?” Johnson isn’t in particular favor in Greece either as before he became Prime Minister he backed the return of the stolen Parthenon Marbles housed in the British Museum but then backed away from that too. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Boris Johnson Adblock test (Why?)

By Associated Press reports from New York that the nation’s top public health agency relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said people no longer are required to stay at least 6 feet away from others. The changes, which come more than 2 1/2 years after the beginning of the pandemic, are driven by a recognition that an estimated 95% of Americans 16 and older have acquired some level of immunity, either from being vaccinated or infected, agency officials said. “The current conditions of this pandemic are very different from those of the last two years,” said the CDC’s Greta Massetti, an author of the guidelines. Many places around the country long ago abandoned social distancing and other once-common precautions, but some of the changes could be particularly important for schools, which resume classes this month in many parts of the country. Perhaps the biggest education-related change is the end of the recommendation that schools do routine daily testing, although that practice can be reinstated in certain situations during a surge in infections, officials said. The CDC also dropped a “test-to-stay” recommendation, which said students exposed to COVID-19 could regularly test — instead of quarantining at home — to keep attending school. With no quarantine recommendation anymore, the testing option disappeared too. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: pixabay.com Adblock test (Why?)

US Ambassador George Tsunis paid a visit to Health Minister Thanos Plevris and Deputy Minister Mina Gaga on Thursday, ANA reports. At the ministry, they discussed the collaboration of Greece-US on health issues, especially hospitals, medicine, research & development in the health sector, managing the pandemic, and challenges in the post-Covid-19 era. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Adblock test (Why?)

US Ambassador George Tsunis paid a visit to Health Minister Thanos Plevris and Deputy Minister Mina Gaga on Thursday, ANA reports. At the ministry, they discussed the collaboration of Greece-US on health issues, especially hospitals, medicine, research & development in the health sector, managing the pandemic, and challenges in the post-Covid-19 era. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Adblock test (Why?)

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of AVSEC Insight, an online platform offering users a comprehensive range of timely, open-source, information to aid in identifying potential security risks and threats to their operations and businesses. “Monitoring risks is both difficult and time-consuming, particularly for airlines with international operations. Adding destinations means more intelligence collection and monitoring is required. AVSEC Insight responds to this challenge by gathering risk-related information from a wide variety of sources, including niche and local-language news media as well as NOTAMs (Notice to Air Missions) and other official sources. It enables users to manage and identify business risks at early stages, monitor them in real time, and conduct post-event analysis. The tool covers threats and continuity risks from natural disasters, civil unrest and protests, geopolitical developments, transnational crime, and cybersecurity to name a few,” said Matthew Vaughan, IATA’s Director of Aviation Security and Cyber. The subscription-based service provides an intuitive user-friendly interface. Information can be customized to risk profile and operational needs, by country, city, airport, or flight information region (FIR). Better and faster identification of risk means safer and more secure operations and resource optimization. Moreover, AVSEC Insight incorporates advanced machine learning and natural language processing capabilities to ensure the platform becomes more intelligent and robust as the dataset grows. “Recent events have shown the enormous value of being able to track, assess and respond to potential risks in real-time, particularly in a dynamic and fast-changing industry such as aviation. AVSEC Insight is a vital tool for any organization in the aviation value chain or that manages mobile workforces and/or the time-sensitive movement of assets,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Safety, and Security. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: pixabay.com Adblock test (Why?)

UNWTO has warmly welcomed the first data on summer arrivals from its Member States. As international travel returns in many parts of the world, several Members are starting to report strong numbers both for arrivals and tourist spending. This is in spite of the fact the sector continues to face a number of challenges, among them the ongoing pandemic, rising interest rates and cost of living levels, and heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty. From the Dominican Republic, Minister of Tourism David Collado, has advised UNWTO of record arrival numbers for April, May, June and July. Notably, arrivals in July were 24% higher than in 2019, putting the country on course for its best year on record, including in terms of sales taxes and income generation. In response, UNWTO has sent its congratulations to the Minister and commends the Dominican Republic for its strong and ongoing support for tourism. UNWTO also notes the invaluable contribution of the private sector, as exemplified by the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (ASONAHORES), which is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary. This growth comes even as destinations across the Dominican Republic continue to miss tourists from Russia and Ukraine, two historically strong source markets. In recognition of its leading status as a resilient destination, the Dominican Republic was the focus of the first UNWTO Investment Guidelines publication, released at the start of 2022. Developed alongside the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic and the National Export and Investment Center (PRODOMINICANA), the new guide provides key insights for investors, with the aim of boosting foreign direct investment in the Caribbean destination. The Dominican Republic will also host the 118th session of the UNWTO Executive Council in the first quarter of 2023. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Adblock test (Why?)

Greece's Ministry of Culture and Sports is proceeding with the further protection and exploitation of the cultural heritage of the medieval city of Rhodes with the integrated Strategic Plan for the promotion of the archaeological site of the Palace of the Grand Master, ANA reports.Culture and Sports Minister, Lina Mendoni, stated that "the medieval city of Rhodes is a huge comparative advantage for Rhodes, the Dodecanese, and Greece in general. Our goal is, with the integrated design, to highlight the archaeological site of 'Perivola', included in the UNESCO zone, and to connect the ancient building remains of the dock with the medieval gardens of the Castello, creating a new single timeless historical monumental core, in the medieval city." RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Jebulon Adblock test (Why?)

"This year tourism proved that is Greece's "heavy industry" and can not only support the national economy but also offer substantial support in very difficult conditions" Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias stated among others in an interview with Athens-Macedonian News Agency on Sunday, ANA reports.He said that in this period Greece will welcome 1 mln tourists every week underlining that in July the tourist arrivals exceeded 900,000 every week.The minister made a special reference to the arrivals from the USA noting that in June they increased by 50 percent in comparison with 2019 while there was a 32 percent increase in the arrivals from Austria and 24 percent from Israel. "This year, Greece will be the number one destination in travelers from France and Israel, very high in the list of travelers from the Balkans and in the first three positions in travelers from Germany and from the Scandinavian countries.One of the greatest wagers of Greek tourism is still the extension of the tourism season. "There are indications, not evidence, that the tourism season has already been extended and yes, there are also indications that it will be further extended," Kikilias noted. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Mstyslav Chernov Adblock test (Why?)

Some 28 lighthouses across the country will be open to the public on Sunday, August 21, in celebration of International Lighthouse Day 2022, the Greek Navy said on Saturday, according to ANA. They will stay open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and people will have the opportunity to learn about the contribution of lighthouses to navigational safety and their significance as cultural heritage. These are the locations of the lighthouses: 1. Ag. Nikolaos - Kea island2. Akrotiri - Santorini island3. Arkitsa - Fthiotis4. Mudari - Kithira island5. Vrysaki - Lavrio6. Fiscardo - Kefalonia island7. Gourouni - Skopelos island8. Drepano - Chania, in island of Crete9. Kastri - Othoni island10. Keri - Zakynthos island11. Skinari - Zakynthos island12. Kranai - Gythio13. Megalo Embolo - Thessaloniki14. Melagavi - Loutraki15. Plaka - Lemnos island16. Koraka - Paros island17. Kokinopoulou - Psara island18. Port of Alexandroupolis19. Tenaro - Laconia20. Koprena - Arta21. Kaki Kefali - Chalkida22. Monemvasia - Laconia23. Lakkas - Paxi island24. Vasilina - Evia island25. Pappa - Ikaria island26. Spathi - Serifos island27. Doukato - Lefkada island28. Katakolo - Ilia RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Lapplaender  Adblock test (Why?)