Greek Daily News 03/08/2024 - Travel to Greece

ECONOMY

-The continuous increase in the cost of living, has had a significant impact on the retail sector, affecting both consumers and businesses alike. According to a survey carried out by the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce on the retail market in the first month of the summer sales, the vast majority of respondents, 87.5%, recorded a decrease in their sales.

-In 2023, Greeks spent €34.9 billion online, with 94% of internet users making regular monthly purchases, a recent E-commerce Report by Italian bank NEXI revealed. When it comes to travelling, Greek spent a total of €10.7 billion online.

-Greece’s energy and environment ministry announced another extraordinary subsidy program to keep consumer power rates capped at €0.15 per KWh in August, as energy providers have agreed to absorb most of the rising energy costs.

BUSINESS

-Beach concessions to businesses reached a record 1,650 this summer, far higher than the initial estimate of 1,200 by the Ministry of Finance, Kathimerini reported. Meanwhile, citizens submitted over 10,000 complaints via the myCoast app last month about beach violations across the country, prompting authorities to conduct multiple inspections.

SPORTS

-Greek judoka Theodoros Tselidis who won the bronze medal in the men’s -90kg weight class on Wednesday, Greece’s first medal at the Paris Olympics, returned to Greece on Friday.

-Greek rowers Milena Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou won the bronze medal in the lightweight double sculls final at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Friday.

-Greece won its third medal in the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday in the lightweight men’s double sculls. Antonis Papakonstantinou and Petros Gaitatzis won the bronze medal.

TOURISM

-Aegean Airlines has suspended all flights to and from Israel until August 6 and to and from Beirut until August 8 due to the ongoing instability in the Middle East.

-The government is expected to soon announce measures aimed at more efficient and effective management of Greece’s cruise ports, the Greek Tourism Ministry announced on Friday.