The Big Blue Greek Sea that is THE AEGEAN

ICCA has chosen the Thai capital to host its annual general meeting in 2023. This 62nd ICCA Congress will be held between 12-15 November 2023, with the attendance of over a thousand public and private organisations from more than 100 countries.

The initiative is being supported by TCEB, the Thai Convention and Exhibition Bureau, in an event that promises to be particularly memorable as it will take place at a time when Bangkok will showcase its achievements from the first half of its Strategic Development Plan, 2013-2032, to transform into the Metropolitan City of Asia.

WORLD TOURISM TRENDS SUMMIT 2022

The World Tourism Trends Summit will take place from 24-26 August on the Island of Cozumel, Mexico. The event's main purpose is to make the business and tourism community aware of the importance of digital transformation, especially after the pandemic. The topics to be discussed include tourism marketing, digital strategies, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. In addition the summit will offer a business area, networking and tours within Cozumel.

ITB ASIA 2022 REPORTS STRONG INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE AND KEY ANCHOR PARTNERS SIGNALING HIGH DEMAND FROM THE INDUSTRY

Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show, held as an in-person event in Singapore from 19-21 October, reports promising registration numbers and a strong international presence. Trade visitor registration is open at: itb-community.com/itbasia2022/visit/

Now in its 15th year, ITB Asia will once again be held as an in-person event at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from 19 – 21 October. The leading trade fair for Asia’s travel industry will bring together global leading brands and companies across MICE, Corporate, Leisure and Travel Technology, providing a unique opportunity and platform for the industry to rebuild, reconnect and give answers to questions about how the travel industry is restarting.

The 3-day conference and exhibition is co-located with MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia. ITB Asia can count on strong anchor partners in the revival of travel trade The organisers announced Saudi Tourism Authority as Official Partner Country and Berlin Brandenburg Airport as Official Partner Airport. The organisers are also delighted to have Marina Bay Sands as Official Partner Hotel.

As part of the collaboration, these anchor exhibitors take very prominent booths at the show and bring key outbound buyers to ITB Asia. They will also be represented with several sessions for ITB Asia Conference curated for the Asian travel trade market. Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show is in strong demand 3 months ahead of the show, leading companies, NTOs and organisations from around the world have already confirmed their participation in the event. ITB Asia is once again seeing strong participations from the National Tourism Organisations, Regional Tourism Organisations and Convention Bureaus who will be showcasing their latest travel & tourism products and services.

The show is expected to attract more than 13,000 travel professionals at Asia’s largest travel trade show, bringing attendees from the MICE, Corporate, Leisure and Travel Technology sectors together for business, networking and top-notch conferences.

IPW 2023 - SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, USA

IPW 2023 will be held from 20-24 May 2023 in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

It will be the 1st time the IPW event takes place in San Antonio, which aims to surprise visitors with its culture, gastronomy, history, art, entertainment and natural wonders.

The Big Blue Greek Sea That Is… THE AEGEAN

by Giota Panfrios

The Aegean Sea is the cradle of 2 great early civilisations; The Minoans of Crete and the Mycenaean, from the Peloponnese on mainland Greece and from which much of modern Western culture is derived.

The sea was traditionally known as Archipelago, which in Greek means ‘chief sea’, but in English the meaning of this word has changed to refer to the Aegean Islands.

The Aegean Sea is home to 7 groups of Greek islands:

North Aegean Islands:

Lesbos, Chios, Psara, Oinousses, Ikaria, Fournoi, Lemnos, Agios Efstratios, Samos, Samothraki and Thassos.

Psara island

The Sporades islands:

Skiathos, Skopelos, Skyros, Alonissos.

Evia (Euboea): The second largest Greek island.

The Cyclades islands:

Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Ios, Kea, Kimolos, Kythnos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Folegandros, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Syros, Tinos, Thera or Santoríni, Donousa, Irakleia, Koufonisia, Schoinousa.

The Saronic Islands:

Salamina, Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Dokos and Agistri.

Agathonisi island

Crete The largest Greek island

Dia island, Crete.

It is one of history’s most written about and well known seas. It is upon the Aegean that 1,000 Greek ships sailed to Troy and rescued the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen!

It was the Aegean Sea that features so prominently in many famous Greek myths; from the story of Icarus and Daedelus, Theseus and the Minotaur, Jason and the Argonauts and the ultimate; The Odyssey.

Even Plato described the Greeks who lived around the Aegean ‘like frogs around a pond’ in his book ‘Phaedo’. The Mycenaean civilisation travelled far and wide on the Aegean Sea for trade going as far as Egypt and Spain.

The Aegean Sea is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus in the north, while it is connected to the Ionian Sea to the west, through the strait lying between the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece and Crete.

It occupies a surface area of approx. 214,000 sq.km, and at its maximum depth, east of the island of Crete, it reaches 3,543m below the surface.

Many of the Aegean Islands are in fact a continuation or extension of the mountains found on the mainland.

While some of the islands being volcanic, rocky, and barren, they hide riches like marble and iron ores which are mined. Other larger islands have fertile valleys and produce some of the most delicious figs, honey, mastic, oil, olives, raisins, vegetables, wheat, and wine, that you can find anywhere in the world!

The Sea got its name from ‘Aegeus’, the King of Athens and father of Theseus.

Legend has it that The Minoan King Minos of Crete, wanted to punish the Athenians who had killed his son Androgeo. He declared war on Athens and won. As subjects of the Minoan Empire, King Minos commanded that every 9 years, 7 Athenian boys and 7 Athenian girls were sent to Crete to be sacrificed and eaten by the mythical Minotaur; a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, who lived deep in the Labyrinth underneath Minos' palace.

Theseus, the son of King Aegeus of Athens decided he would slaughter the Minotaur and end the blood sacrifices. He took the place of one of the 7 young boys, but before he set sail for Crete, he agreed with his father that he would hoist white sails when returning from Crete if he was successful in killing the Minotaur.

As with all good stories, nothing is quite that simple!

Upon arriving in Crete, Theseus fell in love with Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos. She agreed to help Theseus in his quest and gave him a ball of string, 'Ariadne's Clue'. As Theseus ventured deeper into the tunnels, he unravelled the string so that after killing the Minotaur, he would find his way back out of the Labyrinth. This proved successful and the Minotaur was killed.

Theseus and Ariadne fled the island at night to return home to Athens.

En-route, they stopped at the island of Naxos. Here Theseus left Ariadne while she was sleeping and continued home alone. Dionysos, God of Wine found Ariadne and made her his wife.

However, Theseus forgot to raise the white sails as he had promised his father.

As King Aegeus waited for his son to return, he stood at the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio looking out to sea. As the ship rounded the cape, it flew black sails! The King believed this meant his son was dead and in his despair, he jumped off the cliffs into the sea and drowned.

The temple of Poseidon, Sounion, Greece

Ro islands/ Kastelorizo, Greece

During the archaic era (c. 750–480 BC) the Aegean Sea region was powerful and wealthy, with Naxos being the most prosperous island. In the centuries that followed, the Aegean Sea continued to help the Greek civilisation flourish and served an important function in trade as well as in war.

Interesting Aegean Sea facts:

• In 1975 an underwater research team discovered an ancient shipwreck on the sea floor, close to the island of Dokos. Full of ceramics vases, experts dated the cargo to around 2700-2100 B.C., making it the oldest shipwreck in the world. The artefacts are on display in the Museum of Spetses, on the island of the same name.

• The Aegean Sea is one of the world’s premier cruising and yachting regions due to its many harbours and ports as well as its historical sites.

• During the 1970s, the analysis of sediments around Santorini became of international scientific importance as they were linked to a possible explanation of the ancient lost island city of Atlantis.

• Today’s coastline of the Aegean Sea dates back to 4,000 BC. Prior to this the sea was 130m lower.

• The Minoan civilisation on Crete flourished between 2000 BC and 1450 BC. It was Europe’s 1st advanced civilisation.

• There are several seas within the Aegean Sea; the Thracian Sea, Sea of Crete, Myrtoan Sea, and the Icarian Sea.

THE GREEK AEGEAN - Where Blue Lives