A creative approach to boosting tourism
Over the past few years, the Greek summer has extended far beyond the country’s pristine beaches. It has extended to the increasingly diversified arts sector which is offering international productions of the highest quality. The forthcoming Athens Festival, along with a host of other artistic spectacles all over the country, make up an alluring program, more than capable of satisfying the most demanding audience. However, this surplus of supply does not seem to be effectively reaching the majority of our visitors. The large hotels and travel agencies fail to inform their guests about the rich cultural program on offer, quite simply because these enterprises themselves are not being properly and systematically briefed. And so the majority of tourists who visit our country tend to confine themselves to the «sun-sea-taverna» product and, accordingly, spend little time – or money – on cultural distractions. But the truth is that cultural tourism, for the more demanding visitor, could give our country a valuable competitive edge in the global tourism arena and eventually become a powerful catalyst for growth. We offer a top-ranking environment and tourism product. What we need is the right strategy for their effective exploitation.
