Tourist traffic from China to Greece promising

Tourist traffic from China to Greece, inaugurated last year by…

Tourist traffic from China to Greece, inaugurated last year by La Greca<.> Travel, looks most promising in the future. Diane and Chris Panagiotopoulos, the mother and son team of La Greca, who took the initiative to induce tourists from China to Greece, have been nurturing the trade. The prime problem heretofore has been visas, but this has been resolved satisfactory by application of the Schengen Treaty.

Previous to this Shila, as Greece is known in China, was the most difficult country for the Chinese to enter of all countries in the European Union.

At present Chinese tourists to Greece are on a five to seven country tour, with three of four days devoted to Greece. Their programs include the one-day cruise of the Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina, Poros, and Hydra, a sightseeing tour with the Acropolis and the archeological Museum, and a Chinese dinner in Athens.

These visitors fly to Athens via two prime routings by Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.

La Greca has intentions to participate with its own booth at the China International Travel Mart, CITM, being held in Shanghai this coming October. It should be noted that Chris, somewhat of a linguist who mastered a semblance of Japanese, back in 1988, understands over 500 Chinese characters. He is also fluent with sigh language, which the learned to better host and guide deafmute tourists. These groups come in a steady stream from several countries, including the USA and Japan.

La Greca, founded in 1965 and servicing clients from countries on five continents has introduced new programs; wine tasting tours, and Neolithic Greece and the Centaurs.