This Summer We Are Going to Greece

This Summer We Are Going to Greece

In a period of intense political volatility for our homeland where its image in the U.S. and in all international media has been at its nadir, “Greek News” launches today the “Third Campaign for Greek Tourism” with the slogan “This summer we are going to Greece. The least we can do for our homeland.” We do it because as Greek-Americans we love Greece and we will support her at this difficult time, as a duty to our compatriots who, for three years now, are desperately looking for some faint ray of light; and for some politicians who will keep lit the lantern and lead them safely out of the tunnel.

Deliberately, we have avoided this year to ask – as  we did last year – for messages from the Greek political leadership. Their credibility is so minimal by their complete inability to agree even on an issue (let alone on government), that their invitation to Greek Americans would probably have brought the opposite results. In this process, however, until the end of the campaign on 23 July, we will invite leaders of the Greek American Community and Philhellenes to join their voices with ours, in order to continue to support Greece, a country whose beauty turns to be its biggest problem.

In May 2010 Greek News was the first newspaper in the world to come up with a slogan of solidarity with Greece (we love Greece, we help Greece, this summer we go to Greece), calling on Greek Americans to visit in the summer our homeland. Most of the media of Greek Diaspora followed in reproducing the slogan. The success was tremendous and today there are many initiatives by mass media, community organizations, businesses and individuals in this direction. In fact, all these initiatives, along with the GNTO website are the only tourism promotion campaigns conducted by the country; they are quite effective and indeed cost free. While prior to 2009, millions of dollars were shamelessly wasted by the corrupt political system of our homeland for the financial support of two to three local media.

This year’s campaign also coincides with the launch of the campaign of the organization of the Greek American restaurateurs ‘Pan Gregorian’, who in cooperation with the organization “Alliance for Greece ‘and 20 known Greek artists, printed millions of placemats which will be distributed to 3,500 Greek-owned restaurants in eastern U.S. The printing was completed and the distribution begins this coming week. In honoring this effort – for the success of which it has also contributed a small token – “Greek News”  with the support of the Pangregorian Enterprises will present in the current issue the 20 Greek participating artists and their works; the ones which in a few days millions of Americans will have the chance to see right in front of them.

We hope all these ongoing efforts, large or small, will help reverse the negative trend of tourism to Greece. This year’s flow in the first quarter decreased by 5.19% over last year; information about the flow from the U.S. refer to cancellations up to 30-40% of people who fear social unrest and government instability (as they remember last year’s pictures during the taxi drivers’ strike which drew thousands of tourists pack their luggage for miles under the burning sun) and of course the prohibitive prices of air fare. Despite the increased capacity of direct Delta flight that added a bigger plane in its line to Greece, the total seats this summer are fewer and the process much higher. The Greek politicians responsible for tourism unfortunately did nothing to help attracting airlines, while they did little for, at least, a rudimentary organization of our tourist presence in the U.S. The commitments made by deputy minister of Tourism George Nikitiadis for an Advisory Committee in America that would utilize the talents of top players in the tourism sector offering their services free of charge, have been proven empty talk.

But we, as Greeks in America, must do again our duty to our homeland.

We owe it to our roots, history and culture, to our compatriots who are suffering.

We must help the Greek economy, visiting Greece this summer.