modern communications tools in order to maxi-
mize results, also saving resources, a major
requirement for Greece under the current eco-
nomic circumstances.
Thus it created visitgreece.gr, a portal for promot-
ing Greece, which anyone may use for making
reservations or purchasing tickets in order to visit
monuments.
Two campaigns for promoting the country were
built on this foundation: the first is called YOUIN-
GREECE and presents foreign people talking
about Greece, while the second, called
MYGREECE, or “Alliance for Greece” ―in its tel-
evised version― urges Greeks to talk about, to
promote the Greece they love, and to spend their
vacations here.
T
he year 2010 was a year of hardship, as
well as severe criticism on the just and
the unjust from the international media.
Greece was not only called to respond, but also to
adapt, to the new conditions created by the eco-
nomic crisis, in order not to merely maintain, but
improve its position in the global tourist market.
The Minister of Culture & Tourism, Pavlos
Yeroulanos, has stated that the Greek economy’s
recovery will start from tourism, while exiting the
crisis is a process that requires clear goals and
the mobilization of all the productive forces of this
country around these goals.
To this end, the Ministry’s political leadership has
redesigned its communication policy, deploying
Trade with Greece
138
The Greek economy’s recovery depends, to a great
extent, on the course of Greek tourism, which is con-
sidered to be the country’s “heavy industry”, repre-
senting 15.2% of the gross domestic product.
Optimism for
tourism
By Artemis Spilioti
