Ministry of Tourism

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni received the new ambassador of Japan, Koichi Ito, on Thursday.

During the meeting, they discussed the promotion of bilateral tourism cooperation, as well as the events in the field of tourism, planned on both sides, within the framework of Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism 2024.

The last two floors and the rooftop bar of the Coco-Mat hotel in the Makrigianni area of central Athens that had been declared illegal for exceeding the height of 24 meters were sealed last week by the Ministry of Tourism, after the Court of Appeal rejected the suspension request submitted by the owner company. 

The Committee for Aviation Tourism has been re-established by decision of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in collaboration with Ministry of Tourism.

Among its duties are the submission of proposals, opinions and legislative reforms to encourage tourism by small aircraft.

A staggering 2% of homes in Cyprus are being utilized as accommodations listed on Airbnb, highlighting concerns about housing availability and regulatory oversight.

The data, focused solely on Airbnb listings, signifies a larger trend of properties being transformed into investment assets rather than meeting housing needs.

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni showcased Greece's and the Ministry of Tourism's initiatives to advance the agenda of sustainable tourism development during an informal gathering of EU tourism ministers in Belgium on Tuesday. The central focus of the discussion revolved around ensuring the resilience of the tourism ecosystem.

For the first two months of the winter season, the tourism sector in Bulgaria reports a growth of over 5% compared to the same period last year. There is a significant increase in visits from Italy, while tourists from Israel are about 70% fewer. Bulgarian tourists have increased by 8% during the same period.

Bulgaria saw a 22 percent increase in Turkish visitors during December 2023, as the Ministry of Tourism revealed. Considering this trend, Bulgarian authorities will focus on promoting the destination in the Turkish market, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Bulgaria recorded a 22 percent increase in Turkish tourists last December.

Bulgaria has experienced a substantial surge in Polish tourist arrivals, with over 250,000 visitors recorded in 2022 alone, spanning from January 1 to September 10. Tourism Minister Zaritza Dinkova shared this encouraging data in an interview with the Polish media outlet Wasza Turystyka, highlighting the nation's allure as "the country of spa and wellness."

Adapting to the modern needs of tourism and innovation are the main characteristics of the Tourism Ministry's planning, Minister Olga Kefalogianni said at the first meeting of the board of directors of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) for 2024.

The political leadership of the Ministry of Tourism was engaged in a race to deal with the crisis in the tourism industry on Monday, following the massive fire on the island of Rhodes.

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, as well as her deputy, Elena Rapti, arrived on the island on Sunday, in order to help manage the situation.