Greece took the top spot in a National Geographic Traveler Russia vote recently. The Russian version of the famous travel magazine named Greece the “Best Beach Holiday Destination of 2019.” And while Greece’s tourism ministry is anxious to take kudos, the editor of Argophilia Travel News has his say too.
According to the announcement by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Greece, Turkey, Vietnam, Cuba, and Cyprus were all short-listed for the selection, but Greece won out with individuals surveyed with 29 percent of 500,000 individuals who participated took part in the survey.
There were twenty-four candidate destinations participating in the Best Beach Holiday contest held between June 29 and October 31, 2019. The GNTO report said almost every chief executive from the tourism industry in Russia, including travel agents, airline executives, and foreign diplomats, attended the official announcement in Moscow.
The GNTO took credit for driving what it said was improved quality traits and tourism flows, which officials say confirms the effectiveness of policies. And here I thought my helping organize famous Russian cosmonauts visits, bringing to Crete high-level Russian officials and TV producers and celebrities, and spurring hoteliers in Greece to be more Russia-centric had taken effect. Seriously. I never catch a break from the GNTO.
Russians love Greece organically. The only reason my colleagues and friends from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka even consider Turkey or Egypt is on account of price and flight times, plus the fact that tradition holds for many Russian families to visit Turkey on holiday. So naming Greece the best beach holiday is more or less a matter of more of our Russian friends visiting.
Regardless of who takes credit for Russians enjoying Greek hospitality, it’s good news that our Russian friends are rating Greece so highly.
