A Greek tourism blitz abroad to help flagging industry
From the Internet, to television spots, to the printed media, Greece is about to let the world know of its tourism assets in a strategy designed to rejuvenate the flagging tourist industry which was hit hard by the global slump following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Yiannis Patelis, head of the Greek National Tourist Organization (EOT), said in a statement yesterday that the new national advertising campaign will «focus strongly on modern forms of publicity and different themes, such as gastronomy, conferences and culture.» The UK and Italy got the first taste of Greece’s new advertising approach, following the recent launch of websites in their respective languages touting Greece’s attractions. The German market is the next target, with EOT signing on the German magazine Der Spiegel for a promotional campaign on its website at a cost of 14,086 euros. The tourist body is also splashing out $60,000 for a yearlong advertising campaign to be shown on domestic air flights in the USA and a promotional spot to be aired on the British Broadcasting Corporation’s website from March to April. EOT’s decision to expand its Internet-based advertising offensive came on the heels of a successful campaign both on Euronews, which lauded Greek attractions in six European Union languages, and in Russia. The tourist body said a printed promotional media campaign based on a successful drive in the USA has already been launched in Europe, with the publication of brochures targeted at German tour operators. EOT also plans to take part in more exhibitions in the wake of recent participation in London and Milan. Core inflation, excluding the impact of price liberalization, was forecast at 10 percent in 2002, Labus said.
