Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

A Slovenian Winter Is Coming

by

News today from Slovenia’s Tourism Board reflects on initiatives there to broaden the alpine country’s tourism horizons, and a bit of the stress deep recession can cause. We received a press release telling of the so called 2nd Days of Slovenian Tourism that took place this week at the fabulous Radenci Spa (image below). A sort of gathering of travel experts, the meetings hint at the country’s staggering economic woes reflected not only in the news, but the effectiveness and methods to attract tourists.

Fascinating Destinations: New Roman Mosaic in Lycia

by

Last month news of a massive Roman mosaic being unearthed in southern Turkey captured the imagination and interest of anyone interested in antiquity. Researchers unearthed what is the largest such mosaic in all Turkey, and one of the largest such decorative Roman artifacts in the world. The wonders of Turkey and antiquity make for a great Monday morning discovery. Look.

Surprising Travel Modes: Superfast Ferries

by

Odds are you never thought of traveling from Italy to Greece via ultra fast auto ferry. You probably did not even consider there is such a thing outside of a Bond flick, let alone churning across the length of the Adriatic aboard one. Here at Argo, we are all about the love of travel and wonderful, novel ways of “getting there” too.

buuteeq Gets Another $10 Mil to Make “Right Idea”

by

Online marketing startup buuteeq, which we covered briefly some time back, has just announced having raised another $10 million in funding. The funding round, led by Madrona Venture Group and by Concur, brings buuteeq’s total capital raised to some $17 million thus far. Along with this news, the startup also announced the addition of Concur CEO, Steve Singh and Madrona Partner, and Tim Porter to the company’s board of directors.

Grace Hotels – Echoes of Great Greek Getaways

by

Today’s hotel spotlight is on the newest of the new Greek getaway possible, a Grace Hotel that has yet to open. Being developed on the Isle Kea, known locally as Tzia, the Grace Kea Hotel and Residences will be a boutique paradise affair quite unlike any other. Slated for 32 rooms and two restaurants, this Island accommodation promises to be a new breed of elegance. Let’s look at what we can expect.

WIHP’s DirectPack & Trivago – Direct Bookings Imminent?

by

World Independent Hotels Promotion (WIHP) has just announced a sweet partnership with leading meta comparison site Trivago, one which could end up being a sort of strategic masterpiece. Testing their so called DirectPack ad platform with Trivago, WIHP’s test hotels achieved a 10x ROI with no sweat, according to WIHP’s Marketing experts. The implications of this news may not be readily obvious, we suggest you read on.

Azerbaijan Tourism Ministry Needs Uplifting

by

Azerbaijan is one of the most progressive tourist destinations in the world since the outpouring of interest after Eurovision. As an indicator of just how quickly things are ramping up there, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Abulfaz Garayev, just announced this morning the his agency’s need for tourism professionals.

Santorini Volcanic Activity Confusing

by

Reports on a magma pool building beneath the Greek Island of Santorini have brought on mixed, even confusing opinions about what is going on at the popular tourist destination. Unquestionably, the magma buildup reported by scientist earlier in the year is valid, but are local authorities leveling with potential tourists?