Athens Tips, Suggestions, Examples to Enjoy!

[TLCOhio]

From the London/UK Daily Mail and MSN News in the past week, they had this headline: “Glamorous Greece: Inside the Athenian Riviera, which is rediscovering its seductive past” with these highlights by author Nigel Tisdall: “The 40-mile strip of land stretches south from Piraeus to Cape Sounion,  It offers a 'different but equally enticing proposition' to Greece's islands.”

 

Here is more background:  "While many of us are drawn to Greece’s myriad islands, this 40-mile strip of pines and sand – stretching south from Piraeus to Cape Sounion – offers a different but equally enticing proposition.   These shores are no stranger to glamour. In the early 1960s, what was then known as Asteria, the Greek word for 'star', attracted another local shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, who would come here with American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas.  Today, the Athenian Riviera is having a renaissance that was ignited four years ago with the debut of the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel."

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/tripideas/glamorous-greece-inside-the-athenian-riviera-which-is-rediscovering-its-seductive-past-with-the-help-of-some-incredible-but-pricey-hotels/ar-BB1nbzU2?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit.  Now at 35,511 views.  Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

[TLCOhio]

Is it good news that Greece is getting more and more popular for tourists?  

 

From Bloomberg News and this travel news website yesterday, they had this headline: “Greece to Limit Cruise Ships Visiting Popular Islands Next Year” by Vedat Özgür Töre with these highlights: “Greece plans to reduce the number of cruise ships visiting its popular tourist destinations. the country’s prime minister, announced that he will place caps on how many cruises can travel to Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.  Islands like Mykonos and Santorini are popular tourist destinations. Since the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic boosted tourism overall, more visitors than ever before have been seeking out the islands.”

 

In 2006 when we did our first cruise and visited Mykonos, we super loved it.  BUT, we were lucky on that day as we were the only ship in port that day.  I cannot image the impacts and crowding if six to eight ships had arrived there on just one day.  

 

Full story at:

https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/cruise-travel/greece-to-limit-cruise-ships-visiting-popular-islands-next-year/#google_vignette

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 33,425 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

[TLCOhio]

Here's an aggressive headline and more details from Greece as they consider the impacts of cruising and those visitors.  

 

From the London/UK Telegraph two days ago, they had this headline: “How Greece is going to war on cruise ships" with this sub-headline:  "The country’s PM has vowed to put a cap on cruise ships – though some believe they’ve become a scapegoat for wider overtourism problems.”

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights by writer Heidi Fuller-Love: “Lured by glorious beaches, world-class archaeological sites and comforting cuisine, some 33 million people visited Greece in 2023, around five million more than in 2022. According to the Greek National TourisM Organisation (GNTO), 2023 was also a landmark year for cruising in Greece, with seven million passengers visiting the country aboard 5,230 cruise ships, compared to 4.38 million passengers and 4,614 cruise ships in 2022.  With approximately 1.5m passengers in 2023, Piraeus, the port for Athens, tops the list of popular cruise destinations in Greece, followed by Santorini with 1.3m and Mykonos with almost 1.2m.”

 

Cruise ship "economics" are a part of the question and rub based on this and other comments in the story:  "Business owners on the island are angry at the lack of revenue that cruise tourism brings. 'They have everything on board – even souvenir shops – so they come here and just walk around and then go back to their boat without buying anything,' says Maria Dimitirou, who owns a gift shop in Oia."

 

Another aspect of the backlash is too much of cruise ship tourism is focused on a just a few islands.  Also a travel experts was quoted saying: "Unfortunately, many of the ports of call in Greece have become tourist enclaves with nothing left for the locals."

 

Good and interesting questions?  Fair or unfair?  Reactions and comments?

 

Full story at:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/greece/greece-cruise-tourism-cap/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/