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| Prime Minister Konstantino
Karamanlis of Greece with President George W.
Bush last year at the White House. |
By Elaine
Green
Greece has proved to be an increasingly
attractive tourism destination for Americans, either
as a stop-off in a European tour or as an exclusive
destination.
In September 2004, the volume of
travel from the US to European countries, including
Greece, saw an increase by 10.8 percent. Indeed,
2004 figures for US traffic to Europe were second
only to the record year of 2000 and experts predict
that this will be topped in 2005. With a record
8.82 million US passports being issued last year,
the predications are well founded.
The Olympic Games phenomenon lies,
in part, behind the resurgence of Greece as a tourism
destination, despite the fact that in the summer
of 2004, the country had expected to benefit even
further from its Games initiative.
Greece was the smallest nation to host the modern
Olympics, notching up one of the biggest bills to
pay for the event - $12.08 billion. Yet the majority
of Greeks believe that the investment was a long-term
one and thus well worth it.
Closer cooperation of Greece and
America regarding the security of the Games was
one of the many outstanding successes in ever-improving
relations between the two nations. The ability of
the Greeks to successfully host the great event
was a marketing feature in itself.
The effort of preparing the country
to host the Games brought with it a dramatic modernization
of the nation’s infrastructure, transforming
it into a first-class destination for tourists.
That transformation has been especially
welcomed in Athens. Greece’s islands have always
held a place in the hearts of the world’s tourists,
but now the country’s capital is also back
in favor. Its environmental improvements, state-of–the
art public transport and gleaming marble international
airport put it high on the agenda for American travelers.
Other nations echo the American sentiment.
In the wake of the Olympic success, Britons have
voted Greece one of their top three tourism destinations
for 2005. The Association of British Tourist Agencies’
(ABTA) annual report on UK holiday preferences for
the year 2005 praised Greece in general and Athens
in particular, stating that the efforts made by
the country to enrich its tourism product and upgrade
its roads, transport, public services and hotels
are already paying off.
A 10 percent increase in bookings
and arrivals off the back of the Olympic success
is predicted. Islands forecast for increased tourism
include Crete, Rhodes Mykonos and Santorini.
The Greek islands are a much-loved destination for
many famous Americans including former U.S. President
George Bush. The ex-premier visited Greece in the
run-up to the Games and stayed on one of his favorite
islands, Lesvos, where he enjoyed a relaxing holiday.
"I am welcomed every time I
come to Greece...It is great to be back on this
island Lesvos, it is a magical island," he
told reporters. "I like the exercise here,
I like the walks, and the welcome from the people
here...I am so very proud to be representing the
U.S.," he added. He highlighted the safety
of Greece - a factor that has always attracted tourists,
not just during the high-security Games. "I
feel very safe here, there is no reason to feel
unsafe, you are in a safe country."
Naturally such visits are a two-way process. In
May 2004 the Greek government expressed satisfaction
with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis’ highly
successful official visit to the States, commenting
on the warm welcome the US administration had given
him.
The close relations before, during
and since the Games have been hailed as a positive
signal to the start of a new era in US-Greek relations,
particularly in the wake of Greece’s own strong
stance on crushing the former terrorism group, November
17.
However, the resurgence of US visitors
to Greece is not just as a result of good security
and improved infrastructure. Greece’s marketing
makes great emphasis on the development of "niche
tourism". These specialty holidays, which range
from traditional village experiences, eco-tourism
(which provides an opportunity to see rare and protected
bird and animal species, as well as sensitive forests,
wetlands and ecosystems), thermal springs and spas,
golf-courses, health and beauty farms, gastronomy
experiences and conference tourism are all increasingly
popular with American visitors.
The love affair between Greece and
America is part of a well-trodden path. The US forms
the biggest country in the Greek Diaspora and has
a number of famous Greek-Americans including; George
Tenet, CIA Director; Spiro T. Agnew; former U.S.
Vice President Michael Dukakis, former Governor
of Massachusetts; Jennifer Aniston, actress, "Friends",
her godfather, Telly Savalas, late actor, "Kojak;"
Rita Wilson, Hollywood producer ("My Big Fat
Greek Wedding");Johnny Unitas, NFL legend;
Olympia Dukakis, Academy Award-winning actress;
Billy Zane, actor, "Titanic;" Helene Alexopoulos,
prima ballerina, NYC Ballet and Pete Sampras, to
name but a few.
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Greece 
