The number of Australian tourists visiting Greece this year is expected to rise by 7 to 10 percent, according to the Director of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) office in Sydney. Greece is gradually becoming a popular destination for Australian tourists and, based on all indications, the upward trend will continue, according to the GNTO head, speaking on the occasion of the Travel Expo tourist exhibition held in Melbourne.
Some 100,000 Australian tourists visit Greece annually, and the increased interest currently recorded is attributed to the country’s promotion abroad through the successfully held 2004 Olympic Games and the tourism promotion campaigns launched in various parts of the world.
On the other hand, the Euro has smashed the British Pound and the American Dollar. 2.5 million Brits come to Greece every summer as well as 353,000 Americans. The weak dollar will not keep Greek-Americans from coming to Greece but the usual American tourist may shy away from Europe for the time being. The question is how many Brits will stay in the UK or leave Europe all together this summer?
But wait, there's a glimmer of hope..the Germans. More than two Million Germans are supposed to come to Greece summer 2008. I may be wrong, but I have noticed many Germans come to Ios June and early July. And of course, the infamous Italians will invade Ios in August..1.2 million of them. Oh yes, let's not forget the new players on the Island..the Irish and the Norwegians!!
The Irish (0ver 60,000) have been coming to Greece for years, but for the first time many are coming on vacation..not work..and they have plenty O'money!! It also seems like half of them come to Ios. Also, thanks to Sunrise Hotel making a deal with a travel agency in Norway, there are plenty of Norwegians coming to Ios during the past few years. And for the guys who didn't know..Norwegian girls are super hot and dress top notch!! Over 300,000 come to Greece annualy. Over 730,000 Dutch, 492,000 Austria, 417,000 Sweden, 363,000 Belgium, 171,000 Cyprus, 161,000 Finland and 161,000 from Spain. Only 30,000 come from Latin America.
Lastly, approximately 600,000 French and 109,000 Canadians come for fun and sun in Greece. More than ever before people from FYROM, Serbia, and Poland have swarmed Ios to work for the summer. Over 3.6 million people come from Eastern Europe mostly to work. Ios used to have many Israeli 18-year-olds a few years ago, but after the major carrier in Israel stopped flying non-stop to Santorini and Ios lost the bungy jump at Far Out Beach..Ios did not have as many Israelis as before. That's ok, because when you had the Italians AND the Israeli teens acting like drunken monkeys..Ios was a lot like the Planet Of The Apes except with motor scooters..lol.
FEEL FREE TO SCROLL DOWN AND FILL OUT IOS POLLS
Friday, April 18, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
TIPPING ETIQUETTE ON IOS
"TIPPING IS NOT A PLACE IN CHINA"..LOL. THAT IS WHAT WAS WRITTEN ON A SIGN AT "THE DUBLINER" ON THE MAIN ROAD BEFORE THEY CLOSED. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? IT MEANS "PLEASE GIVE TIPS." SOME PEOPLE MAY WONDER WHAT IS THE PROPER ETTIQUETE FOR TIPPING ON IOS. WELL, LET'S DIG A BIT DEEPER.
FIRST, YOU HAVE YOUR AUSSIES. WHY DO AUSSIES NOT TIP? ARE THEY CHEAP BASTARDS? NO, THEY ARE NOT. IT'S JUST THAT IN AUSTRALIA, TRADITIONALLY THE TIP IS ALREADY ADDED TO THE BILL. SO, AUSSIES (BLESS THEIR HEARTS) USUALLY DO NOT KNOW ANY BETTER. WHAT ABOUT ITALIANS? ACCORDING TO THE GIRLS AT SEVEN-ELEVEN CAFE, ITALIANS DO NOT TIP AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHY. OF COURSE, THE AMERICANS TIP LIKE NO OTHER NATIONALITY. IN THE STATES, IT IS CUSTOMARY TO LEAVE 10-20% OF THE BILL (BEFORE THE TAX). 15% WOULD BE THE AVERAGE WHILE 20% OR MORE WOULD BE FOR SOMEONE THAT DID A LOT OF RUNNING BACK AND FORTH FOR YOU AND WAS SUPER FRIENDLY.
HERE'S SOMETHING I FOUND ON THE INTERNET ABOUT TIPPING:
There's evidence that tipping goes back at least to the age of the Romans, but human nature being what it is, it could just as easily date from the invention of money. Luckily for us, etymologists have managed to come up with a selection of deeply fascinating etymologies for the phrase "to tip." The dullest and most likely has it coming from the Latin stips, meaning "gift."
The most charming explanation refers us back to the days of Dr. Johnson and his eighteenth century circle of wits. Upon entering his local coffee shop, Dr. Johnson would drop a few pence in a box labeled "To Insure Prompt Service" ("T.I.P.S"--get it?) in order to encourage a greater display of vigor on the part of the generally listless attendants. Tipping spread from England to colonial America, but after the revolution it was frowned upon (temporarily) as a hangover from the British class system. One only tipped one's social inferiors, which, lest we forget, did not exist in the brave new world.
Unfortunately, the working class eventually got around to swallowing its pride, and tipping returned with all the fervor it possesses today. Even the Communist countries have not entirely eliminated the practice. These days, of course, taxi drivers and wait persons depend on tips for a substantial part of their income. If you didn't tip, presumably they'd expect to be paid more, and your restaurant bills and taxi fares would consequently be higher. The fifteen percent standard is mostly a question of what the market will bear. In New York, the figure these days are twenty percent; European restaurants generally add a ten percent gratuity to the bill.
SO, MY ADVICE TO YOU IS TO TRY AND TIP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IT'S GOOD KARMA AND YOU HELP OUT PEOPLE WHO NEED IT PROBABLY MORE THAN YOU.
FIRST, YOU HAVE YOUR AUSSIES. WHY DO AUSSIES NOT TIP? ARE THEY CHEAP BASTARDS? NO, THEY ARE NOT. IT'S JUST THAT IN AUSTRALIA, TRADITIONALLY THE TIP IS ALREADY ADDED TO THE BILL. SO, AUSSIES (BLESS THEIR HEARTS) USUALLY DO NOT KNOW ANY BETTER. WHAT ABOUT ITALIANS? ACCORDING TO THE GIRLS AT SEVEN-ELEVEN CAFE, ITALIANS DO NOT TIP AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHY. OF COURSE, THE AMERICANS TIP LIKE NO OTHER NATIONALITY. IN THE STATES, IT IS CUSTOMARY TO LEAVE 10-20% OF THE BILL (BEFORE THE TAX). 15% WOULD BE THE AVERAGE WHILE 20% OR MORE WOULD BE FOR SOMEONE THAT DID A LOT OF RUNNING BACK AND FORTH FOR YOU AND WAS SUPER FRIENDLY.
HERE'S SOMETHING I FOUND ON THE INTERNET ABOUT TIPPING:
There's evidence that tipping goes back at least to the age of the Romans, but human nature being what it is, it could just as easily date from the invention of money. Luckily for us, etymologists have managed to come up with a selection of deeply fascinating etymologies for the phrase "to tip." The dullest and most likely has it coming from the Latin stips, meaning "gift."
The most charming explanation refers us back to the days of Dr. Johnson and his eighteenth century circle of wits. Upon entering his local coffee shop, Dr. Johnson would drop a few pence in a box labeled "To Insure Prompt Service" ("T.I.P.S"--get it?) in order to encourage a greater display of vigor on the part of the generally listless attendants. Tipping spread from England to colonial America, but after the revolution it was frowned upon (temporarily) as a hangover from the British class system. One only tipped one's social inferiors, which, lest we forget, did not exist in the brave new world.
Unfortunately, the working class eventually got around to swallowing its pride, and tipping returned with all the fervor it possesses today. Even the Communist countries have not entirely eliminated the practice. These days, of course, taxi drivers and wait persons depend on tips for a substantial part of their income. If you didn't tip, presumably they'd expect to be paid more, and your restaurant bills and taxi fares would consequently be higher. The fifteen percent standard is mostly a question of what the market will bear. In New York, the figure these days are twenty percent; European restaurants generally add a ten percent gratuity to the bill.
SO, MY ADVICE TO YOU IS TO TRY AND TIP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IT'S GOOD KARMA AND YOU HELP OUT PEOPLE WHO NEED IT PROBABLY MORE THAN YOU.
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