Benefiting from the post-Olympic glow and the regrets of many potential travelers who chose to stay away from the Games last year, Greece found itself inundated with new visitors in 2005.
The Best News
The New AthensSome people wondered if Athens could hang on to its Olympic gleam. The answer is a resounding yes - tourists are benefiting from the improved transportation systems, the pedestrian-friendly walkways, and the thriving revived neighborhoods, most of which have been developed under the current Mayor, Dora Bakoyannis. Once best seen as a quick, culturally necessary stop on a trip to Greece, Athens is now a truly enjoyable destination in its own right, with a full slate of fun and free events aimed at both residents and visitors, put on courtesy of the City of Athens.
Yes, Minister The new Greek Ministry of Tourism has taken firm hold after just over a year of existence, with Tourism Minister Dimitrios Avramopoulos introducing new programs and never missing an opportunity to promote Greece as the great destination it is. One of his efforts - touting Greece as a film location and getting more films made in Greece. Can we hope for new Greek film "classics"?
Does G.N.T.O stand for Great New Tourist Organization? In the past, different Greek National Tourist Organization offices could be uneven in how they handled tourist inquiries and what information they had on hand to provide. Frequently, the GNTO "office" was actually just part of a travel agency given the duty of handling GNTO calls. Working in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, the GNTO now offers an easier-to-use website and travelers are reporting more responsive staffing at the branch offices .
Worst News:
Bad News for Bargain HuntersFewer hotels, tour providers, and cruise companies are desperate for clients. While some great deals still exist, don't expect clearance sales for the next few years.
Greek Industries Still Love to Go on Strike
2005 was no exception. We saw general strikes, taxi strikes, bus strikes, and even an air traffic controllers' strike that shut down all aviation in Greece for a day.
The damage these "inconveniences" do to a visitor's perception of the country is immense, and since the travel-related strikes are often timed to hit at peak tourist periods, those that get caught up in them are not exactly rushing to book reservations for the next year.
The Helios Crash
Though investigations are continuing as to what exactly went wrong, one thing is clear - this eerie plane crash which killed all 121 people on board after a long period of apparently uncontrolled flight did nothing good for confidence in Greek and Cypriot airspace management. The sole optimistic note? The increased official scrutiny may help prevent some future problems.
The In-between
Advance Bookings Not AdvancingIt's still too hard to book a year or more in advance, making Greece a challenging choice for event travel such as weddings, reunions, and major anniversary celebrations.
A New Star System is Born
Greek hotel ratings, although recently revised, still fall short of guiding guests to really understand what they are getting compared to hotels in the rest of the world. Bright, shiny new or renovated resorts are still at a great advantage over charming boutique-style hotels and family inns. Ambiance, atmosphere, and warmth of service need to be calculated into the ratings. The frightening label of "Two-star" or "C"-class may be just perfect for you.
Olympic Airlines is Still Olympic Airlines - for a while
Nearly succeeding in finding a buyer, all deals fell through when the EU insisted that hundreds of millions of Euros in illegal subsidies be repaid. Olympic's response? A restructuring with a new name and slightly new company due in Spring of 2006.
The Bottom Line
Good, bad, or indifferent, there's no place I'd rather be than traveling in Greece... and here are just a few of my reasons why.
