Greece
Greece This month - November 2014
for 2015 and the coming years.
Thismonth
In this issue:
World Travel Market 2014 ‘Crete – The Island Inside You’ Google and Greek Tourism “ I’m an Aθenian too ” The Treasures and the Mechanism of Antikythera Shipwreck • LondonGreek Film Festival
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World Travel Market 2014 Greece’s tourism bounces back!
On November 3, the Greek Tourism Minister, Mrs Olga Kefalogianni visited the British capital in order to attend World Travel Market 2014, the industry’s biggest annual fair held at the Excel exhibition centre (November 3 -November 5). During her press conference on the opening day of the WTM, the Greek Minister presented the outstanding performances of the Greek tourism sector for 2914, as Greece is expected to record over 22 million foreign tourist arrivals (including cruise passengers) and €14 billion of revenue, this year. The Greek Minister expressed her belief that ‘the numbers will be further increased in 2015’, underlining that ‘the country will successfully claim its position among the 15 top tour2
ist destinations in the world’. In addition, the Greek Minister stressed that ‘tourism is not only about sun and sea, but it is a varied product with themed sections which are developing and aim to cover all the interests of the modern and selective visitor’. She also added that “Greece has been progressively developing its tourism offering – it’s being revamped. We have to show the brand of Greece is beyond any temporary circumstances. The past two years have been marked by creativity’. Furthermore, the Minister of Tourism outlined the country’s overall tourist policy, which involved updating infrastructure, enriching the domestic tourist product, encouraging tourist expenditure, developing new forms of tourism and
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tourist destinations, while supporting employment and entrepreneurship. Political stability and renewed trust in Greece are giving the Greek tourism industry a boost, said Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) Panos Livadas at the WTM, underlining that that there have been positive results in the last two years in terms of arrivals and revenue as a result of political stability and trust in Greece. “2014 has been a year to remember. 2014 has been a year of new, all time records for Greece,” Mr. Livadas added. During her visit, Mrs. Kefalogianni had the opportunity to meet with tourist industry and media representatives to present the national strategic plan for the sector and to discuss the new prospects
In this year’s communication campaign, which was unveiled by the Minister during the press conference at the WTM, via a promotional video entitled ‘Gods… Myths… Heroes’, Greek gods, heroes, myths and legends are used to promote the country, by highlighting the country’s cultural attractions. According to Mrs. Kefalogianni: “the Greek Gods and he-
roes of the mythology, which we all discovered in our childhood, guide us across Greece and explain the country’s uniqueness”. The ad campaign’s main goal is to focus on the true values of life and the didactic myths on ethics, from the ancient to the contemporary world. Mrs. Kefalogianni stressed the importance of Greece’s worldwide “brand name” in tourism and argued that the campaign will showcase the traits that have put Greece on the tourist map.
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Crete
The Island Inside You
Under the motto “Crete – The Island Inside You”, the Region of Crete, in collaboration with advertising agency McCann Athens and the production company Indigoview recently launched the island’s latest tourist campaign.Already released on the internet, the campaign features six short films highlighting the reasons that make Crete an ideal tourist destination, and includes a new tourist brand, logos and slogans as well as promotional material. The concept of the campaign “Daydreaming” was based on recent survey data that found 40 percent of tourists visiting the island return. The narratives were inspired by true stories of tourists who have made Crete their home away from home. “We are happy with the outcome of the promotional campaign and hope it will attract thousands of new visitors to the island all year round”, ΜcCann Athens co-CEO Harris Parianos has stated, while thanking the Region of Crete for their trust.
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Google and Greek Tourism
Trying to help Greek companies and to maximize the country’s tourist potential, being well aware of the fact that Greek tourism offers great financial profit to the country in terms of GDP, the giant multinational organisation, Google, is partnering with the Greek Ministry of Tourism to promote Greece online beyond the summer months, with a first series of events to be held in Iraklio, Crete in early September. The new program has been already launched in southeast Europe last December, offering management courses to 3000 medium-sized tourism businesses.
3% and create as many as 100,000 new jobs. The services provided will include Google My Business and Google AdWords to improve online presence, search results and maps and help promote off-season offers. The initiative follows last year’s project, Google 4 Doodle, whose objective for the year 2013 was to encourage pupils aged six to eighteen years old to use their creativity
According to an announcement by Google Greece, the “Grow Greek Tourism Online” initiative will provide online tools and training to help promote tourism jointly with the ministry of Tourism, the National Greek Tourism Organisation (EOT) and the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Athens New Agency reby designing a Google logo for Greece. ported. The winner of competition was Asterios Reynik, a young pupil of the elementary The search engine giant said that about school of Litochoro, a small mountainous 70% of all tourist arrivals to Greece take town in northern Greece, whose painting place between June and September, and was featured on the Google’s search enit cited an Oxford Economics report that gine’s central page on May said an increase in Greek sector activity 14. online could raise the country΄s GDP by 5
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“I’m an Aθenian too”
Take a Photo. Add a Stamp and Share it
Trough downloading an application on their smart phones for free, the international ‘I’m an Aθenian too’’ campaign calls on visitors who ‘fall in love’ with the captivating city and attractions of Athens, to post their photos, using the stamp “I’m an Aθenian too” as a motto, sharing their live experiences with their friends and people on social media all around the world. Inspired by the Greek travel guide Discover Greece (discovergreeccom) and introduced by the Hoteliers Association of Attica and the Saronic Gulf, the Greek Marketing Organization and Athens International Airport, on Tuesday the 21st of October, it celebrates everything that’s great about Athens.
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year-old Antikythera shipwreck”, describes the functionalities and complexities of the mechanism, focusing on the research of a group of maritime archaeology experts working at the site since mid Septeber and using the most advanced marine technology available, such as the so called “Iron Man” suit and the “Sirius”. ‘The world’s first computer’ is the title of the film
phenomena and operates as a complex mechanical “computer” which tracks the cycles of the Solar System. It was a device with at least 30 (some say 70) gears, all precision engineered (the teeth were hand-cut equilateral triangles), designed to predict the movements of the sun and moon, plus six of our closer planetary neighbours. The calendar dial
broadcasted by the British Network BBC, trying to explain how the ancients of the classical Hellenic Period had the knowledge and creativity to put together such a machine.
can be moved to adjust for that inconvenient extra quarter day in the solar year.
By connecting people from every corner of the world to one single destination: Athens, this social media based app let us share our holiday photos of Athens and provides a variety of unique hand-drawn stamps that can be added to them for an extra touch of self-expression. As its site (http://imanathenian.com/) explains, to be an “Aθenian” is to be an enthusiast, who understands the meaning of hospitality, is inspired by history, loves and appreciates different and quality tastes and enjoys the bright sky and the immense blue sea of our beautiful Greek City. So be an Aθenian too!
The Treasures and the Mechanism of Antikythera Shipwreck
The discovery of the 2000 - year- old Antikythera Mechanism, close to the coast of Antikythera, a remote island in the Mediterranean with a population of less than 50 people, continues to inspire worldwide enthusiasm and public awe. The international ΤV networks CNN and BBC, were among those which have shown the greatest interest as were the British newspapers Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail. A really important CNN story, titled “Lost Treasures reclaimed from 2,000-
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The machine dates from around the end of the 2nd century B.C. and is the most sophisticated mechanism known from the ancient world. Nothing as complex is known for the next thousand years. The Antikythera Mechanism is now understood to be dedicated to astronomical
According to the website www.antikythera-mechanism.gr, a really important aspect that makes this discovery more important is the fact that it is a unique window on history, allowing us to be introduced to the condensed knowledge of ancient Greek astronomy, and through them, the knowledge of the ancient Babylonians. In many ways, the structure is an encyclopedia of astronomy of the time. 7
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It also proves the great mathematical and engineering knowledge of the ancient Greeks. It is estimated that the instrument dated between 200 and 150 BC and is superior to any other clockwork built for more than a millennium later. The level mechanical design of the mechanism is in
any case astonishing. CNN and the other world media have also paid a lot of attention in the recovery of new treasures from the shipwreck by a team that has used the latest technology to accomplish it. As the Guardian and Daily Mail point out, Greek and American archaeologists are returning to the ancient shipwreck of Antikythera wearing the Exosuit, a high- tech, ‘revolutionary’ diving suit, built in Canada by Nuytco Research, which allows them to dive more than double the depths of previous expeditions. It is made of aluminium, with 18 joints in the arms and legs and it is able to supply oxygen for up to 50 hours, while maintaining communication with the surface via an optical cable. The use of this suit was of major importance, as until recently divers had only been able to operate at a depth of 196ft (60metres). Ed 8
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O’Brien from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has become the first person to dive the Exosuit in the deep blue water off Antikythera. As well as the Exosuit, the Antikythera expedition will also use robot mapping equipment and new advanced closed-circuit “rebreathers”, which will allow divers much more time underwater. Another important technology on which CNN focuses on its story, is the ‘SIRIUS’, an autonomous vehicle (AUV) which was created by the Australian Centre for Field Robotics in order to create precise 3D documentation of the expansive debris field. A three dimensional X ray technique is also used in order to generate 3D images, which would help the understanding of the mechanism, according to professors Dr John Steele and Yanis Bitsakis. Archaeologists believe many other artefacts are yet to be discovered in and around the wreck. ‘We have good signs that there are other objects present,’ stated Angeliki Simosi, head of Greece’s directorate of underwater antiquities, in Daily Mail. The archaeologists also hope to confirm the presence of a second ship, some 820ft (250 metres) away from the original discovery site. Last but not least, it is worth noting that the Greek team of maritime and archaeology experts is being assisted by Brendan Foley, a marine archaeologist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution at Massachusetts in the US, which was involved in a dive to the wreck of the Titanic. He has helped with outings to identify ancient shipwrecks over the past five years.
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London Greek Film Festival
The Awards & the Documentary of Antonis Kanakis
Οn the 18th of October, the “Odysseus Awards” of the 7th London Greek Film Festival ceremony took place in «Theatro Technis», under the direction of Mr. Christos Prosylis, presented by the Greek
week festival (6-18 October) comprised of more than 70 films and 20 screenplays (fiction feature films, documentaries, short films, experimental films and video art) with the great movie of the director Michael Cacoyannis’s ‘The Trojan Women’ (1971) to be the first screening which opened the festival at Westbourne Studios. The Odysseus Awards included twenty categories, among which best fiction feature film, best short fiction, best documentary, best experimental film, best video art, best directing and best screenplay. Pandemy, a fiction feature film by the well- known Greek actor Dimitris Pi-
journalist, Thanasis Gavos, while the Ambassador of Greece, Mr. Konstantinos Bikas, among others, addressed the audience and handed awards. Attended by film directors, screenwriters, producers from Greece, Cyprus, Great Britain, USA and other countries, friends and partners, the ceremony was accompanied by short art performances by its director Christos Prossylis, which included favourite tunes and excerpts from the book “About Psyche” by Aristotle.
atas, won three awards (best fiction feature With the aim to be the international meet- film, best directing and best performer for ing point for contemporary Greek film Theodosis Pelegrinis), while Block 12, a from around the world, this year’s twofiction feature by Kyriakos Tofarides, 9
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won another three awards (best concept for fiction feature, best screenplay and best actress for Carmen Ruggeri). Also, Common Denominator won two awards, these of best music and best actor for the Greek actor Vladimiros Kiriakides. The documentary ‘Immersion: Dive into another reality’ about the poverty stricken community of Sierra Leone, directed by the famous TV host and producer, Antonis Kanakis in 2013, won one of the ‘Best Documentary’ awards, featuring his trip to Sierra Leone as a Goodwill Ambassador of Action Aid. As the media manager of the non-governmental organization ActionAid Hellas Anna Botsoglou stated exclusively to ‘Greece This Month’, Mr Kanakis was the first well-known Greek TV personality, who tried the «Immersion» in October 2012, on behalf of ActionAid Hellas, by living the experience of the everyday lives of the people of the village Fegkechoun in Sierra Leone. The above experience had influenced Mr Kanakis to such a great extent, as he describes in his thankingletter for winning the prize at LGFF, that the revenues from the production of his documentary under the title ‘Immersion: Dive into another reality’ were offered to 10
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the above NGO for fulfilling two crucial projects for the region, i.e. the building of a school and a well. It is worth noted that in October 2013, 28 Child Sponsors from Greece travelled with the volunteers of ActionAid Hellas to Sierra Leone in order to participate in the projects mentioned above, with their experiences recorded in a second documentary directed and produced again by Antonis Kanakis, under the title ‘28 Child Sponsors- One Love Team’. As Mrs Botsoglou underlined, through these initiatives, the lives of 1.5 million people will be improved thanks to the warm welcome of Greeks who watched the documentary on Greek
TV Channel Ant1 and decided to support the organization’s ‘Child Sponsorship’ programme. The team of ‘Greece This Month’ had the chance to communicate with Mr Antonis Kanakis, who stated about his experience the following: ‘It is difficult to describe my experience there. I think that for all of us who live in the West, only by breathing, smelling, feeling, seeing peoples’ eyes, speaking, listening, and experiencing by firsthand the poverty and the harsh living conditions, we can truly understand the reality that these people face. Before my visit to Sierra Leone, I thought I had an idea of what to expect from according, to
what I had seen on TV documentaries, etc. “I thought” is the key word. I have tried my best in order to communicate my experience, through the ‘Immersion’ documentary by sharing all these, images, through the procedure of film editing, directing etc. Although, I am still not sure
if I managed to present fully what goes on behind the camera: the harsh reality that unfortunately is the life of million people on our planet, ‘children of a lesser God’. As he underlines ‘a recent example of how this injustice between the Western and the developing countries is expressed can be found on the Ebola virus: no one seems to worry about the thousands of people who die in Africa from the virus, whereas if that was happening in Europe or America, it would have been the headline in the news of all the international media. Even if it sounds harsh, the prevailing attitude seems to be one of “let it be, as there isnothing we can do. As long as it does not affect us, we are fine”. I do wonder how much time and money would be spent in trying to keep the Ebola virus under control if it continues to kill thousands of people living at developing countries, without posing a threat in western ones?’’.
Regarding his nomination award as one of the ‘Best Documentaries’ of LGFF, Mr Kanakis expressed his gratitude, pride and satisfaction for this honour, while thanking the 28 Greek volunteers who travelled to Sierra Leone and helped with the construction of the school premises. However, he stressed that he feels some sort of ‘guilt’, because ‘the success of this documentary is, partially, the result of the poverty and unhappiness of millions of people, but also ‘because our planet cultivates and tolerates this kind of injustice’. Thanks to the ‘Immersion’ documentary, and the donations towards ActionAid Hellas that took place after the screening on Greek TV broadcaster, the lives of around 2 million people in the developing countries have been improved. Besides the donations, I have also offered the revenues from the documentary for the construction of another school and a well in communities around the region of Bo’, Mr Kanakis concluded.
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