Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-05-12 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] ANA and Xinhua strengthen their cooperation [02] ND leader Mitsotakis meets with Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros [03] Google: The Internet is an important tool for the development of tourism businesses --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] ANA and Xinhua strengthen their cooperation The Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) and Xinhua News Agency, the official press agency of the People's Republic of China, will strengthen their cooperation following a meeting between the presidents of both agencies Michalis Psilos and Cai Mingzhao on Friday in Beijing. The new cooperation focuses on videos and the exchange of economic and financial news as well as on the cooperation between Greece and China in the field of tourism. Mingzhao underlined that ANA could now upload its news on the new platform of the Chinese news agency called "One belt, one zone." This new partnership follows the agreement signed in Athens last month between the two news agencies. "This cooperation is important because of the strong relations between the two countries," Mingzhao stated. On his part, Psilos noted that "the full cooperation of the two agencies will also help the better communication of Greek, Chinese economic, business and tourism officials on a mutually beneficial basis." [02] ND leader Mitsotakis meets with Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday met with Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa Theodoros who is paying a visit to Greece. "I want you to know that your have our love and unconditional respect," said the main opposition leader to Patriarch Theodoros. "I am leaving in the afternoon for Alexandria, we are having difficult times but we thank you for the triangle 'Cyprus, Greece, Egypt' at gives us strength, said Patriarch Theodoros. [03] Google: The Internet is an important tool for the development of tourism businesses Grow Greek Tourism Online is a Google initiative aiming at boosting the digital skills of tourism professionals so that their businesses thrive through the Internet. "The Internet is a very important tool for the development of tourism businesses, since a large proportion of global sales in the tourism sector are made over the Internet," Maria Founta, Google marketing director in Greece, Cyprus and Malta said in an event organised in Santorini. However, she noted that that professionals in the area of tourism do not take advantage of this trend, as only 8 pct of Greek hotels and businesses use the Internet to accept bookings via their websites. In an interview with the Athens Macedonian News Agency, Founta explained that Grow Greek Tourism Online is an initiative that Google launched in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry, the Greek Tourism Organization and the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises to help Greece's tourism businesses to upgrade their digital skills and tools and improve their internet presence while taking full advantage of their Internet opportunities. We inform the businesses, she added, on simple issues such as how to build a website, how to get into map services, how to get into social media, and have access to Google's tools and more advanced topics such as how to use their mobile phones and to attract more customers.