ATHENS nike air max 97 grise pas cher , Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Athens is on track to host a recordbreaking number of foreign visitors which for the first time everwill exceed 5 million people this year, according to the latestdata released by the City of Athens this week.
In order to further boost the tourist influx and local economy,the municipality has mobilized enthusiastic Athenians this year towelcome visitors at info point kiosks across the city.
More than 100 volunteers of all ages and walks of life, equippedwith specially branded T-shirts and hats, assist since May themunicipality's employees to provide help to visitors at kiosks onSyntagma square in front of the parliament, the pedestrian path atthe foot of the Acropolis hill and the Athens airport seven days aweek.
Launched by Athens Mayor Yorgos Kaminis and Athens TourismPartnership nike air max 97 bordeaux pas cher , an initiative which brings together several majorplayers in the tourism sector, such as airliners, the "AthensGreeter" program aims to showcase the friendly and hospitable faceof the city and offer tourists city insight and information.
"Tourism is an important job creator and economic driver for thecity of Athens...The Program will help us ensure our visitors enjoytheir time spent in the capital, and we hope to welcome all of themback as repeat visitors year after year," Kaminis said in ane-mailed statement.
According to the World Tourism Organization, 40 foreign visitorscreate one new job domestically nike air max 97 rouge pas cher , boosting employment and theoverall economy, he noted.
The program is also part of a wider campaign to promote theGreek capital as a modern, attractive year-round destination,
"This is the final leg of a major effort made in Athens inrecent years, of a systematic bid to promote Athens across theworld," Evita Kalogiorga nike air max 97 blanche pas cher , spokesperson of the City of AthensDevelopment Company, told Xinhua.
The Athens Greeters are tasked to pinpoint to visitors the knownand unknown, different aspects of Athens.
"They are the warm, friendly face of the city. They areanswering questions; they are handing out informative material,such as maps and tip cards helping along with municipalityemployees," Kalogiorga noted.
The program also enhances the spirit of volunteerism amongAthenians nike air max 97 silver bullet homme , and provides an opportunity for some training and workexperience in the tourism sector not only to the young, but alsoolder Greeks who consider a career change during the debtcrisis.
The youngest volunteer is 18 years old, while the oldest is 72,a retired air steward.
Konstantina T, 22, is studying Finance. She did not join theprogram seeking a career in the tourism industry nike air max 97 silver bullet pas cher , but just wantedto help foreign visitors and share with them her passion for thecity where she was born, she told Xinhua.
She had worked as a volunteer in the past during the AthensMarathon and she wanted to do it again this summer.
"I am very proud of this city. I live here. I was born here. Ithink it has a lot of things to see when you come here for firsttime, a lot of monuments, very nice places to go all day. So yes Iam very proud of it and I would like to show them all the places togo and have a very nice experience," she said.
Approximately 25,000 visitors seek help at Syntagma's info kioskper week. And many of them return before leaving Athens just tothank the employees and volunteers for the assistance.
"It is rewarding because we take a lot of smiles nike air max 97 gold femme pas cher , a lot of thankyou. They try to speak in Greek and learn some things in mylanguage," Konstantina said.
Nico from Namibia was one of the tourists she helped find a busticket on Friday. On his way to visit his two children who arestudents in Germany, he stopped in Athens with his wife to see theAcropolis and as much as they can within a few days.
They were impressed with Konstantina and in general Greekpeople, he told Xinhua.
"We think they are very friendly and helpful; they are very openand I think they enjoy having tourists in town," he said.Enditem
ZLATAN Ibrahimovic has unfinished business at Manchester United.
The Swedish striker signed another one-year deal with United yesterday, returning to the English club that released him during the summer while he recovered from a serious right knee injury.
The 35-year-old Ibrahimovic sustained the injury in a Europa League quarterfinal match against Anderlecht in April, ruling him out of the last month of the season. He was on crutches during United’s victory over Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League final in Stockholm.
He has been undergoing rehabilitation at United over the summer and has shown enough positive signs in his recovery to convince the club he is worth a new contract.
United didn’t say when Ibrahimovic is expected to be back in action, although manager Jose Mourinho said the striker “will be important in the second part of the season”.
On Sunday, however, Ibrahimovic posted a video on Instagram of himself kickboxing, during which he kicked a punch bag hard with both legs. Alongside the video was a message: “Which knee?”
“It was always mine and the club’s intention for me to stay nike air max 97 bleu pas cher ,” Ibrahimovic said. “I cannot wait to get back out on that Old Trafford pitch, but I also know that I have to take my time to make sure that I am ready.”
Ibrahimovic will wear the No. 10 shirt vacated by club captain Wayne Rooney, who joined Everton in the offseason.
It appeared United had moved on from Ibrahimovic by signing Romelu Lukaku for 75 million pounds (then US$97 million) from Everton in July.
Lukaku has started his Old Trafford career by netting four goals in his first three competitive games. But he will soon have some competition in attack from a player who top-scored for United last season with 28 goals in 46 appearances, including a double in a 3-2 win over Southa