By Harry Theocharis*

Tourism is the heavy industry of Greece, a branch of the economy which supports the balance of payments, investments and employment, even during periods and in times of deep recession and crisis, such as the one we lived and experienced in the past few years. Greece, beyond any doubt, belongs and is amongst the top tourist destinations worldwide, not only as a product combining sun, sea and antiquities, but also as a multilevel and polythematic life experience.

This was somehow the way the idea and practice of the thematic-alternative tourism started. As an holistic answer to the effects of massive and conventional tourism, a product which can serve the special preferences of our visitors, hence increasing the loyalty of the clients of Greek tourism.  In this context, the thematic tourism must and can be enhanced even more, through the means of providing more combinatorial and innovative experiences, based upon the strong competitive advantages of Greece.

*Harry Theocharis is minister of Tourism.

Our country, as a pioneer in as much to the conventional as to the thematic-alternative tourism (rural tourism, agro-tourism, wine tourism, sports tourism, sea tourism-yachting and scuba diving tourism, cultural tourism, gastronomy tourism, religious tourism, conference tourism, educational tourism, health-beauty-wellness tourism), is in full compliance with the model of multilevel and polythematic experience.

Basic characteristic of the national tourist product is the huge range of offered services and activities and the ability of interaction between the visitors and local societies, the inhabitants, the urban and natural environment.

The enrichment of the tourist proposal with thematic-alternative types of occupation involves the acquaintance of the visitor with the place and the inhabitants, the use of traditional-local products for mental and physical revitalization. More often, this involves an out of the ordinary activity, or some kind of local skills.

The enrichment of tourism in Greece with thematic-alternative elements constitutes an immediate priority and will be the product of a broad consultation of the Ministry of Tourism with all the public and private stakeholders. This strategic approach will allow the enhancement of the competitive position of Greece in the most demanding tourism markets. It leads to new innovative sectors of touristic development and serves in achieving the national goal for 365 days per year tourism. This goal for a country like Greece is not impossible to be achieved - in the contrary, one could say!

For Greece, tourism, either conventional or alternative-thematic, is not just statistics and numbers. Tourism means hospitality, putting emphasis to the human being and to the experiences she/he lives. On the other hand, this means quality lodgings and blocks of accommodation with low environmental imprint and disturbance, and a perfect balance between supply, demand and infrastructure. It also means qualitative and attractive “management of experiences”.

In brief, the strategic goals for a multilevel and polythematic tourism are: The improvement of competitiveness of the Greek tourist-product, of its quality and its authenticity and in general its viability, as well as its opening into new dynamic markets, in all five continents, all year round.  For all the above reasons, a team that will complete a national strategic tourism plan is in place. Moreover, the newly instituted Peripheral Council for Tourism will ensure better coordination among the different levels of government.

For Greece, tourism means beautiful memories from landscapes, antiquities, experiences, gastronomy, sports, and entertainment, but most of all it means “getting true happiness”.

Our goal could only be: “Greece should offer more than what our guests expect anywhere, anytime”.