“Tourism as a means of
bridging Cultures and Civilizations”

Ladies and gentlemen,
Honorarable guests,

I would like to thank you all for your warm welcome and for the opportunity you have given me to exchange ideas and opinions. Tourism is not only a fast expanding global industry, but also a bridge that brings closer cultures and civilizations. Indeed, tourism is a vibrant industry that generates wealth and brings closer people from different religions and cultures. It encourages mutual understanding between different races and ethnicities and therefore it creates ties that prevent conflicts.

It is true that tourism is the modern global “peace industry”. Perhaps international tourism industry is the one that promotes peace in the world more than any other sector of the global economy. Therefore, as we expect global tourism to grow impressively in the next years we wish that this trend indicates the significant diminishing of wars and conflicts across the globe. Tourism circulates “the culture of cultures” across the world. This culture represents the common values of tolerance, love, rationality and understanding. It represents all these values that make us humans. That’s why in Athens, during the Olympic Games, we promoted the notion of “the culture of cultures” – a notion that represents these common values that hold together humanity and can be found in all cultural manifestations all over the world. I am convinced that the wave of tourism that is expanding across the globe is a sign of hope. Because of tourism, different people from different races, countries and religions cease to be aliens with each other.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is well-known that Greece has a dynamic tourist industry. Its share of the gross domestic product (GDP) has already reached 18% – a double of the European average. We want to see this number reaching 30% in the next decade. More than 16 million visitors came to Greece last year. We have been firmly in the top 15 countries worldwide in the tourism sector. Almost 800.000 individuals are employed in tourism or tourism-related professions in the country. Greece has succeeded to get itself into the list of top global destinations and therefore retains a prominent position in the international economy of tourism and leisure.

However, we have realised that our potential is far higher. Since 2004 the Greek government has decided to invest much more political capital and economic resources into tourism. We have started implementing an ambitious program that we strongly believe it will lead Greece towards a much more strong position in the global tourism and leisure market. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

All projections indicate that the number of arrivals globally will double in the next 14 years. In 2020 there will be more than 1,6 billion arrivals. It is understandable that global tourism industry will double in capacity during this period. Although Europe will welcome an extra of 300 million visitors on top of the current 400 million yearly, it is Asia that is going to attract most new visitors. We have studied carefully the global trends and we have found out that the rise of Asia is a double-faced one. Not only more European tourists than ever before will land in Beijing or Shanghai in the next 15 years, but also during the same period of time Europe will receive a growing wave of tourists from China and other Asian countries.

Therefore, it is for sure that the European tourist industry is going to benefit from the economic rise of Asia and China in particular. Early messages from the Greek tourist industry show a strong trend towards this direction.

To me, there’s no doubt that if China represents a kind of threat for some traditional western industries, it is at the same time a great opportunity for the modern European and American industry of tourism and leisure. I am absolutely convinced that Globalization is good for tourism. Tourism is the No1 industry in terms of gains related to globalization. As globalization advances, tourism gets growing. There’s no world region that loses tourists because of globalization. We all win and we can do even better in the years to come.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Greece was the host country of the 2004 Olympic Games. We organised the Games with absolute success and we wish the same success to Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Host cities count the cost of staging modern Olympics but the gains are far bigger and indeed, innumerable. The image of Greece travelled across the globe and left the best impressions. It was an image of a contemporary and secure European country with modern infrastructure and high quality services. It was an image of a country determined to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.

Today the Greek tourist industry is more advanced than ever before. Public and private investments that took place on the eve of the Olympics have changed the country’s face. From new public infrastructure to modern five-star hotels, Greece can now be compared with the most advanced European destinations. It is a fact that Greece has started to feature among the top ten foreign destinations for US visitors. We aim to become the No1 in the years to come. The key of future success is that not only we have to continue but we have also to accelerate on this course. Therefore:

• We step up projects that require the partnership between the public and private sector.

• We facilitate private investments and we solve speedily all related bureaucratic problems.

• We step up the promotion of Greece as a tourist destination in all key markets. We will continue to encourage individuals and families from the US, Europe and the rest of the world to “Explore their senses in Greece”.

• Also, we have put special emphasis on taking a large part of the tourist industry upmarket, and building on the success of the Olympics to develop cultural attractions and upgrade facilities. We work to transform Athens into a major centre for conference tourism in the region. The run up to Athens 2004 was a good start, with some 500 million dollars spent on modernising 50 existing hotels in the Athens region while the capital’s transport infrastructure was substantially renovated. This year we experienced an impressive upturn in tourism investments in Greece. About 37% of all investment plan approved under the Investment Law, are in the tourism sector, with a total budget of almost 1 billion euros. Also, in 2006, GNTO approved the architectural designs for 77 high quality hotels of 19.900 beds in total. Therefore within the next couple of years our hotel capacity will be greatly expanded – a development that will facilitate our effort to attract a bigger share of the international “luxury” (upper market) tourism. From January 1st of 2007, the new Investment Law will be applied with even more generous provisions, including small and medium size enterprises. Accordingly high is the private sector’s interest regarding E. U. funds and programmes, run through the Ministry of Tourism, while we have completed our planning for the new Structural Funds period 2007-2013.  In fact, we believe that the expansion of our tourism industry that is based on new investments and the differentiation strategy we’ve been implementing can be the main engine of growth for our national economy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Greece has traditionally been one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Unparalleled natural beauties, golden beaches, idyllic sunsets, nightlife, and of course Greek hospitality make Greece an irresistible hotspot.

We believe that the best promotion for Greece is Greece itself. There’s no other country like Greece in terms of the experience it presents to the visitor. This experience is comprised by the unique combination of light, temperature, natural beauty, cultural tradition and ancient heritage.

Greece strikes the best balance between all these different qualities. In no other country is there the numerous majestic Ionian and the Aegian islands alongside the Parthenon, the Delphi Oracle and the Mycenae.

If tourism is an industry providing new experiences, Greece stands on top of the list of destinations generating original and indelible experiences and impressions for visitors from any country. It’s no wonder that many first-time visitors return again and again in Greece. In recent years a growing number of European citizens are even buying houses and apartments in the Greek islands.  

We also aim to take advantage of the country’s benign winters to attract visitors all year round. City holidays provide one way of doing this: Greece has many continental cities of great charm except of Athens.
 
At the same time we target other areas of tourism, such as ecotourism. With thousands of internationally recognised sites of cultural interest, an inviting sea and a welter of pristine island and mountain landscapes ecotourism and activity holidays have huge potential. In general we enrich our successful “sea and sun” model as we are working towards making Greece a 12-month destination of choice for visitors from Europe and across the globe.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The government of Costas Karamanlis is working with a clear and ambitious plan: To make the Greek economy more competitive and more flexible, a continued magnet for foreign investment. With annual growth of more than 4% the Greek economy is among the fastest growing within the European Union. We plan to retain and increase this lead so that we achieve faster and confidently the convergence with the more developed economies of the Union.

The position of tourism is central in this plan. Tourism is the key in the future success of Greece.  According to the World Travel and Tourism Council Greece has only realised 15% of its potential in the tourism sector. Therefore, make sure that we have been already investing in our strenghts in order to transform the Greek tourism industry into a world-model. In this light, we aim that Greece becomes a leading world force that positively contributes towards better understanding between different cultures, races, religions and civilizations.

Thank you. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

This exhibition is another reminder of the biggest crime of the 20th century. But it is also a manifestation of hope and faith in the human condition. Even when cruelty and madness are unleashed in the world there are always courageous people willing to risk their lives and help. There are always incarnated angels with the duty to extend their wings and protect innocent children.
I would like to congratulate the ambassador of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Mallias, for hosting this exhibition, together with the Jewish museum of Athens. We encourage such initiatives. It was my decision, as an Alternate Minister of Culture almost two years ago, to register the Jewish museum of Athens in the list of the museums of the Ministry of culture.
I am delighted to see here among us my close friend, Mr. Moisis Konstantinis, the president of the Israeli Committee of Greece and the president of the American friends of the Jewish Museum of Athens Mr Solomon Asser, who is also the sibling of my friend Rossa Asser, one of the hidden children in occupied Greece.

Thank you.

Source: Press Office of the Embassy of Greece

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