Author: Jane

The Struggles of Schengen Visa Applications Applying for a Schengen visa often feels like an uphill battle for Indian travelers. Applicants must present exhaustive documentation, including bank statements, tax returns, and pay slips, only to receive visas that are valid for the exact duration of their trip. For those who need to return, the process […]

The Athenian Riviera is rapidly gaining prominence on the global real estate market, attracting growing interest from international buyers. Newly constructed properties in the area are now commanding prices of €11,200 per square meter, surpassing rates in cities like Dubai (€8,400/sq.m.), Amsterdam (€9,500/sq.m.), Madrid (€7,500/sq.m.), and Barcelona (€7,400/sq.m.). According to research by Savills and Axia […]

Experience luxury and savings like never before with the Mercan Delights Card! As a valued Mercan investor, you now have access to incredible benefits across our premier hotel chains: Where? At all hotels chain of the Mercan Group in Portugal. 💳 The Mercan Delights Card is more than a card – it’s your key to […]

Chinese investor interest in Greece’s real estate market remains strong, even as demand for Golden Visa properties may decline due to higher investment thresholds. The recent increase in the minimum investment amount to €800,000 for certain areas is reshaping the investor profile, favoring individuals and companies with greater financial resources over smaller investors. Stavros Monemvasiotis, […]

A growing number of affluent American families are exploring opportunities for global mobility and security amid rising political and economic uncertainties in the U.S. Portugal and Greece have emerged as two of the most sought-after destinations, thanks to their attractive residency-by-investment programs and high quality of life. Portugal remains a standout choice, as highlighted in […]

Greece is among the top 10 European destinations that travelers plan to visit between October 2024 and March 2025, according to the latest report from the European Travel Commission (ETC). The ETC’s “Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel” Wave 20 report reveals that 4,901 respondents from 10 key European markets — Germany, the United Kingdom, France, […]

Portugal’s tourism sector is on track for another record year, potentially surpassing 2023’s remarkable performance. While initially projected to stabilize, 2024 has seen continued growth, driven by increasing visitor numbers and stays. Entering the final months of 2024, Portugal’s tourism sector is surpassing expectations, positioning the year to potentially outperform the record-breaking numbers seen in […]

The Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel has earned international acclaim at the 2024 World Luxury Awards: Luxury City Hotel and Luxury Conference & Event Hotel. These prestigious awards celebrate the hotel’s exceptional leisure and business hospitality standards, positioning it as one of Porto’s premier destinations for travelers and event organizers alike. Located in the vibrant Lapa […]

Properties with a Category A energy certificate are valued up to 125% higher than those in the lowest category, which have typically seen no upgrades over many years, as per a study by Spitogatos.gr. Presented by Dimitris Melachrinos, Managing Director at Spitogatos, during this week’s Prodexpo real estate conference, the research underscores the considerable value […]

Around 9,500 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are expected to leave the UK this year, with most set to relocate to the EU, which is projected to attract over 6,500 of these millionaires by December’s end. The UAE ranks as the second most popular destination, anticipating an increase of about 800 HNWIs from the UK, followed by […]

Some areas of high demand for holiday homes, especially from foreigners, along with some properties in the municipality of Thessaloniki, now appear to be more expensive than central Athens, with sale prices having recorded a significant rally in recent years. Although a similar phenomenon had previously been observed in Athens, due to the explosion of […]

The Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) is launching a new online platform to speed up procedures for granting nationality, with automation and digitalisation of documents. “This is expected to increase the capacity of services to process nationality processes by 50%”, says the IRN in a statement, highlighting that the new Nationality Platform will “allow […]

October 8th marked the first chapter in the Algarve region for Mercan Group, with the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the first stone of the Lagos Marina Hotel project targeting an investment of 107.8 million euros. This development in Lagos, Algarve, will result in two hotels: the five-star Lagos Marina Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, and the […]

The Council of Ministers Resolution No. 87/2024, dated July 10th, established the creation of a “Task Force for the Resolution of Pending Applications at AIMA” (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum). The primary objective of this task force is to address the backlog of 410,000 pending immigration […]

In September, Mercan Group opened two new hotels Holiday Inn Express Porto-Boavista in Porto city and Holiday Inn Express Évora in the historic city of Évora, in the Alentejo region, will operate under the IHG Hotels & Resorts brand, one of the most prestigious global hotel brands Holiday Inn Express Porto The Mercan Group has […]