Tourism Ministry

After the Smokinya North Beach in Sozopol Municipality (southeastern Bulgaria) has been ploughed up for a second year in a row, outraged local residents have alerted the competent institutions. Photos and videos showing a tractor levelling the beach were circulated on social media at the end of last week.

Hungarian authorities have returned some 412 historical artifacts of Anatolian origin to Turkey, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry said on Feb. 28.

In a statement, the ministry said the artifacts were seized by Hungarian customs officers and returned to Turkey.

Implementing strategic planning in accordance with the Tourism Ministry's 10-year plan was the focus of a discussion held on Friday at the 13th Meeting of the Regional Tourism Council.

Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis informed the council about important international contacts and new collaborations in the field of tourism, as well as the results of his recent visit to Israel.

Greek twins Marianna and Sofia Erotokritou were formally appointed "ambassadors of Greek tourism in China" in acknowledgement of their efforts to promote Greece in China, the Tourism Ministry said on Thursday.

The twins, who have been living and studying in China since 2013, have taken many initiatives to boost Sino-Greek friendship.

Greece announced on Friday that it would be opening its borders to tourists from 29 countries on June 15, although Germany is the only country from the list of the five key markets for Greece's tourism sector, as the UK, Italy, France and the US continue to have high rates of coronavirus infections.

New legislation being drafted by the Tourism Ministry paves the way for seaside hotels to make commercial use of the entirety - rather than a portion - of the beach they face on.

The local airline industry considers the Tourism Ministry's health protocols for this summer season to be feasible and realistic, after Minister Haris Theocharis recently presented the protocols' main points at an online event.

After easing a public lockdown last week, the government is focusing on bolstering the economy with a particular focus on the crucial tourism sector, though plans for its operation amid the coronavirus pandemic foresee strict health and social distancing guidelines.

Greece is developing a three-point plan to help reopen the country to tourism after arrivals came to a halt as a result of nationwide lockdowns and extensive flight bans aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

The Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) has drafted a 10-step action plan to get Greece's main growth engine going again after the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.