The Institute for Touristic Research and Forecasts (ITEP) released its latest findings and it shows that tourism for Greece is down 7.2 percent in the first quarter of 2009, largely as a result of the world financial crisis. ITEP also noted that Greece was affected more in tourism foreign exchange receipts, which were down 18.2 percent. Greek airports, excluding Athens, saw a 3 percent drop in arrivals...
A host of celebrities have taken recent actions with regards to their real estate, much of it coming in the Los Angeles/Beverly Hills area where stars tend to congregate. To start with, Britney Spears is still trying to unload her former home in the gated Summit community in Beverly Hills. The Summit Circle property, after being on and off the market, is now listed for approximately $6.5 million. Spears...
As the real estate market has slowed considerably, many developers are willing to make deals to get Canadians into new homes and condominiums. Some property developers are willing to offer thousands of dollars off the purchase price on closing, luxurious trips to France and other destinations and the always popular upgrade packages. According to news from across the country, many of the most popular...
South Africa is finalizing preparations for the FIFA Confederations Cup soccer tournament, which will take place from June 14-28 and is seen as a test run for next year’s World Cup finals. Eight of the top teams in the world will take place in the tournament, including World Cup champions Italy, European champions Spain and other continental champions. Two groups of four teams will compete, with the...
Despite the current global economic crisis, Germany remains a top destination for international investors. A new survey by consultants Ernst & Young was just released and it shows that Germany comes out in sixth place worldwide and the top European country as a place for investment. The ranking was based on a survey of over 1,000 high level executives and decision makers around the world. Ernst...
International real estate portal Homesgofast.com is celebrating 5 years online by launching a redesigned website and a dedicated UK property section. The UK-based international residential property portal which recently was ranked 22nd in the world following an independent survey of the Global Top 100 property portals. The survey undertaken by overseas property industry company Globaledge,...
When US President Barack Obama visits Cairo this week one thing that he may see are many new, white taxis on the streets. The popular US president will visit Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at AbdeenPalace and then give a speech at CairoUniversity. While being ferried about town in his motorcade, he may spot some of the new taxis that are now being phased in across the city. A taxi replacement program...
The XIII Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) are being held the first week of June in Cyprus. These games were organized by the smallest countries in Europe to give them a chance to compete in various Olympic-style events and competitions. This year’s games are being held across the island of Cyprus and run from June 1st through the 6th, when the closing ceremonies will take place at the GSP...
The country of Slovenia is the highest ranking Balkan state in the 2009 Global Peace Index, coming in at 9th on the list. The index, which is maintained by the Institute for Economics and Peace, ranked 144 countries worldwide and was designed to measure the relative peacefulness of nations and regions around the world. The index defines peaces as the absence of violence and looks at 23 different indicators...
The Bulgarian mountain resort town of Bansko launched its summer season recently with a concert and festival at the town’s Pirin Hotel. The mayor of Bansko, Alexander Kravarov, held a press conference at the hotel touting a succesful winter holiday season and looking forward to the continued expansion of the resort as a year-round holiday destination. The town has plans to expand the area’s sporting...