Mr. Dimitris Charitos  the president of the association of Corfu travel agents (AOCTA) talks to Irene Vlachou for the tourism in Corfu.
Q: In your opinion, what makes Corfu so special?
A:The unique natural beauty of the island, the magnificence of Corfu Town and the great culture of Corfu, which is predominantly Anglo-Venetian.

Q: Do the services offered by Corfiots meet the expectations of the British guests who visit the island?
A: The services offered by professionals can be even better, since they all have the will to achieve higher standards.

Q: Do you believe that visitors can see all that the island has to offer in one or two days, or is this too small a period of time, since the beauties of Corfu are so many?
A: The visitor must certainly spend at least two weeks in Corfu to have the time to get to know its natural beauty, to swim at the many picturesque bays and to appreciate the pace of life in Corfu Town. We hope that soon Corfu Town, already a Monument  Town will be under the protection of UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Social and Cultural Organisation) along with other historical cities who have great culture and whose monuments are considered as universal heritage. Sometimes, one cannot believe that guests who have come to the island for seven days, have enjoyed its natural beauty but have not visited Corfu Town even once to get an idea of its amazing culture and beauty.

Q: How is it possible for visitors to Corfu to be informed of the various holiday packages?
A: By the brochures and the sites of the Tour Operators and of course from the many services and programs now widely offered on the Internet. There are also many local travel agencies that offer guests wide choices of accommodation and help them to choose the kind of holidays they prefer. At these travel agencies, a guest can get comprehensive informationto enable them to enjoy the beauties of the island and Corfu Town to the maximum, as well as appreciating the sea and the sun, and getting an idea about local life and Corfiot hospitality.

Q:  In your opinion, is Corfu promoted enough abroad, and particularly in Britain?
A: During the last few years there has been a great effort to emphasize the promotion of Corfu in the United Kingdom, since 50% of summer visitors are British, which is 500,000 tourists. This number may of course increase as many efforts are being made by the professionals of the tourist industry, to promote theisland even more.
An additional advantage for 2007 and of major importance is the fact that British Airways have announced a new flight timetable of four weekly flights departing from Gatwick at very reasonable prices. This of course will give the opportunity to the many friends and guests of the island to come here more easily and more economically. There will also be excursion programs for the elderly, designed to meet their expectations and needs, although they are not the only target group.

Q: Why should British guests choose Corfu as their holiday destination?
A: British guests choose to visit Corfu not only because of its natural beauty, but also because they feel ‘at home’. It is very important that 9% of Corfu’s permanent residents are British (approximately 11,500 people). All of these devoted friends of Corfu are our best and foremost  advertisers to their friends and relatives in Britain.