GREEK TOURISM
In ancient Greece the institution of hospitality was sacred.
God of hospitality was Jeus, the highest of all Gods.
That’s why they offered with pleasure,
food and presents to foreigners.
The smile, the congeniality, the willing service
are all things that most tourists mention when they come to Greece.
In the modern age the Greek culture has maintained the positive attitude towards visitors.
The culture of Greece has always been a pole of attraction for tourists.
The magnificent nature, the monuments, the benign climate and the hospitality of the locals make Greece an attractive destination for tourists from all over the world.
The contribution of tourism to the Greek economy is huge.
By having great experience , Greece tries to improve her facilities in every factor of tourism , “to spread their visitors in time and space , to give light to more destinations of the country”.
Greece is not only
about the sun, the summer and the islands.
There are other factors that are developing and offer different experiences to the visitors.
Agritourism or agrotourism
involves any agriculturally based
operation or activity
that brings visitors to a farm or ranch.
Ecotourism is a form of tourism
involving responsible travel
(using sustainable transport)
to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being
of the local people.
Refers to a travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event staying apart from their usual environment.
A fast-growing sector of the global travel industry equal to 6.8 billion euros.
The cruise is developed in water areas and the shores of numerous regions where tourists are welcome.
In this form of tourism
the local economy is not reinforced much,
because tourists spend their money
especially inside the ship and less in the local area ,
as it happens in all inclusive hotels, too.
Diving tourism : Clear waters – exploration of famous shipwrecks
Greece is the 5th most popular destination for this particular market.
Εnotourism can consist of visits to wineries, tasting wines,
vineyard walks, or even taking an active part in the harvest.
Enotourism, wine tourism, or vinitourism
refers to tourism whose purpose is or includes the tasting of wine,
often at or near the source.
Gastronomical tourism is calculated to 3 billion dollars globally.
Globally 93% of travellers search all around the world for gastronomical experiences ,
and 25% of tourists spend significant amounts of money in countries they visit on food an drinks.
In Grecce, income from tourism comes up to 16 billion euros
and 4% concern the gastronomical sector (food and drinks).
Religious tourism is not a new idea.
It is the oldest form of “tourism”
in the history of mankind.
Every society has produced members
whose quest was to commune with the divine.
Some of Greece’s most important religious centres include the monastic community of Mount Athos,
and the pilgrim destinations of Panayia of Tinos,
the Panayia Soumela,
the Panayia Ekatontapiliani of Paros etc.
Τhe impressive monasteries of Meteora ,
the Cave of the Apocalypse
and the Monastery of Saint John Theologos on Patmos
Medical tourism
Unfortunately, people travel
for medical reasons,
which has led to the field
of medical tourism.
Greece can contribute
to this field by attracting 100,000 travellers
in need of medical treatment annually, thus achieving a total amount of 400,000,000 euros as a source of yearly income.
Conferencing tourism
It refers to arranged meetings of people sharing common interests or professional qualities,
mainly aimed at both spreading scientific information and exchanging viewpoints amongst participants.
Digital nomads
refers to a new class of working tourists.
They can be employed by a company
or be self-employed.
They can work remotely in any part of the world.
In Greece, the first digital nomads
to appear in 2019
worked not only in Athens,
but also on several islands.
One of them, when being asked about the reasons for choosing to live in Athens, replied:
“The cost of living in Athens, people’s attitude, food quality, compared to those in other mediterranean cities, are much better.”
Besides, it is about a meeting of various cultures interacting with each other,
with a view to knowing and respecting each other.
Tourism is considered to be a substiantial source of income for a country,
as it offers thousands of work vacancies.
«tourismophobia»
There are drawbacks caused by massive tourism, in particular, upon the lives of locals
Local residents feel having their lives gradually changed by tourists.
They often have difficulty finding a house to rent, going around certain places undisturbed, and generally living a normal life. As they say, tourists can make them feel like being foreigners in their own country.
Τourism has been immeasurably boosted at the expense of other ecomomic resources, such as agriculture, animal-raising industry or any other form of industry.
Cultural traits of local lifestyle can be commercialised as ‘on demand’ products,
ending up ‘on purchase’ in the tourist market.
Human interference into natural landscape is frequently observed to destroy its harmony,
due to the construction of necessary facilities which dramatically alter natural imagery.
Certain cities, such as Venice and Barcelona,
have already superseded their potential as tourist destinations
after being stricken by a regular surge of tourists.
Could we find a balance
between entrepreneurship
and the quality of life of the locals?
TRAVEL
ENJOY
RESPECT
There are also drawbacks caused by massive tourism, in particular, upon the lives of locals, as the following:
«tourismophobia»