Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

This Week: The 3rd Digi.travel Cyprus International Conference & Expo

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January 16th in Cyprus, the 3rd annual Digi.travel Cyprus International Conference & Expo will feature leading travel industry experts with analysis and strategies covering the latest trends and potential.

Knossos Curator and British School Offer Unique Pottery Course

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Coming up in Heraklion, April 5th through 17th, 2019, the British School at Athens will offer the Prehistoric, Greek and Roman Pottery Course, a unique opportunity for hands-on experience in the field of archeology.

Santo Maris Oia Rebrands Santorini Hotel Experience

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Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, one of Santorini’s most successful luxury hotels, has just unveiled a new corporate identity and logo designed to brand its authentic hospitality philosophy. Part of the Metaxas Group of Companies, the award-winning property aims to redefine the luxury experience.

Time Machine: “Travel Without a Passport” – Crete 1959 [Film]

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“A Trip to Crete” is a rare film from France from the 1950’s, a short that took the French filmmakers to various landscapes across the island. The French-language film is a window onto the beaches, mountains, villages, mills, and agricultural scenes (harvest grain and melons) during a simpler time. Crete during the 1950s was a […]

Crete Rakes in 1/3 of All Greek Tourism: But Beware a Foreboding

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The island of Crete experienced a stellar tourism season for 2018 with roughly €5 billion euro being spent from January through October, according to figures from the Bank of Greece. Overall, Greece saw travel receipts exceed €15.6 billion, which is an increase of 9.9%, compared to the same period of 2017 and is primarily due […]

Crete’s Archanes Village Holds 1st Annual Table Tennis Competition

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The 1st Annual Archanes Table Tennis School Tournament took place over two days this week. The event, organized by the Archanes Athletic Club Giouchtas 2010, featured young competitors vying for the champion status at the inaugural event, as well as European champions of table tennis. Organized for the purpose of disseminating the good sportsmanship and excellence for the promotion of Olympic Table Tennis, the tournament was sponsored by the Region of Crete and leading local businesses to afford local children an unforgettable experience.

Davinci TS CEO Says His Company Is Delivering “Next” Group Bookings

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Davinci Travel System (Davinci TS), an online B2B platform for booking and managing group hotel reservations, is rapidly gaining traction internationally. In just two years, the Prague-based start-up has exceeded the benchmark of 5,000 partner group hotels in 900+ European cities and over 70+ tour operators. The company’s main goal is to become number one […]

Greek Tax Authority to Deploy Revenue Robots On Airbnb Hosts

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Bad news for Greek property owners intent on squelching on Airbnb revenue taxes. Authorities are proceeding with pre-announced cross-inspections in efforts to ferret out tax-evading property owners leasing out their accommodations. In the latest news Greek tax men will use “search robots” deployed by the revenue authority. The move may put an end to the Airbnb bonanza that has supported thousands through tough times in Greece. 

SeaScape Luxury Residences Expanding Agia Pelagia Offering

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One of Crete’s most successful beachside developments tells of the expansion of SeaScape Luxury Residences at Agia Pelagia. The new development by Heraklion businessman Dimitris Markakis was warmly received by travelers headed to one of the island’s most sought-after destinations, so the announcement of this new expansion comes as no real surprise. Agia Pelagia is a former fishing village transformed into a beach lover’s Mecca over the past few years because of its special geography. SeaScape’s second phase aims to complete a harmonious enclave in a very special tourist community.

Winners and Losers of the Crete Hospitality Games

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Whoever came up with the idiomatic expression “The devil’s in the details,” must have made a bad hotel choice or two in their lives. Since retiring from the travel public relations and marketing game, I notice an uptick in sloppy marketing efforts that are almost completely reliant on Google ads, OTAs, and the big tour operators. For hoteliers here in Greece, the lost opportunity costs of such reliance will eventually tell. It is with this eventuality in mind that I present the following.

Making a Dent in Marble Headed Greek Beurocrats

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In the late Spring of 2018 the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourism Organisation helped organize an amazing cultural event in Heraklion. The Contemporary Minoans design event held 11 and 12 May at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum should have been made Crete branding exercise, but it wasn’t. Instead, the event stands as a stark reminder of what the term “uncommitted” means for Greece.

A Prescription for Recovering from Our Marketing Disease

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Digital communications has for too long been reclassified as only a function of marketing. Public relations communicators should have been in the lead all along.

INSETE Study Lays Groundwork for Truly Sustainaable Greece Tourism

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Numbers from a new study released by INSETE, the Greek Tourism Confederation’s (SETE) intelligence body show big growth on lesser returns. According to the study arrivals in Greece increased by almost 90% in the period 2005 – 2017. Meanwhile, the average tourist spend dropped by 30% on the view of source markets. Once again, however, sustainability for Greece’s tourism seems a highly subjective case in point. Here’s the report, followed by some objective observations.

Chef-Poet Christopher Bakken at Crete’s Dalabelos Estate Next Summer

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Coming up next summer at Dalabelos Estate near Rethymno, Crete renowned chef, food writer, and English professor Dr. Christopher Bakken will host an immersive program to explores the traditional cuisine, music, and culture of Crete.