Credit: Mstyslav Chernov, CC BY-SA 3.0
A new tourism campaign featuring the portmanteau “Greekend” from the Greek National Tourism Organization seeks to court European travelers to take weekend trips to the country.
Citing the country’s beautiful weather and ancient sites, the latest ad promotes Athens and Thessaloniki, the two biggest cities in Greece, as perfect destinations for a city break where travelers can “end their week like a Greek.”
“Greekend” tourism ad promotes Greece as weekend destination
As the advertisement shows, Athens and Thessaloniki are home to incredible restaurants, cafes, art galleries, and museums, which make them great choices for a quick weekend holiday.
Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias stated that “The Tourism Ministry and Greek National Tourism Organization are launching the City Break campaign, inviting visitors to discover the well-known and hidden corner of Greek cities.”
“Hotels in our cities, particularly Athens and Thessaloniki, have suffered due to the pandemic. This campaign is the first in a series of initiatives we will carry out, inviting visitors to safely enjoy an authentic Greek weekend in our largest cities,” he continued.
The spot will air in ten countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Israel.
Greece to welcome flights from US, Canada
While Greece hopes to court nearby European travelers to visit the country over the weekend, it is also ready to welcome tourists from more far off locations, such as the US, Canada, and Australia.
Direct flights from Canada to Athens, Greece will begin on April 2, said the Greek Tourism Ministry on Wednesday following a meeting between Minister Vassilis Kikilias and Canadian Ambassador Mark Allen.
For the first time, it said, these flights will extend past October, all the way to the end of November. The ministry noted that this tied in with the ministry’s aim of extending the official duration of the tourism season in Greece.
More direct flights from the US will also begin to arrive in Greece soon. This summer, American airlines will operate 14 direct flights every week between eight large US airports and Athens, Greece as the country eases its coronavirus travel requirements.
Greek tourism minister Vassilis Kikilias said after a meeting with US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt that direct flights between Greece and the US will start serving passengers on March 7, earlier in the season than in any other year.
This “amounts to a vote of confidence in our country by a key market that adds high value to Greek tourism,” Kikilias said on Monday.
In order to prepare for the influx of travelers from the countries, Greece amended its entrance restrictions.
Fully vaccinated travelers from the US, Australia, and Canada no longer need to provide a negative Covid test to enter Greece.
Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced the latest update in a social media post on Saturday, writing:
“A very important development for tourism — fully vaccinated travelers from the US, Australia, and Canada are not required to show a negative Covid test to travel to Greece!”
