The event for the presentation of this year’s tourism promotion campaign was attended tonight by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as the economy and society gradually return to normal and Greece opens up to tourism, aspiring to attract as many visitors as possible in a very difficult year, taking advantage of its internationally enhanced image thanks to the successful management of the pandemic.
The safety of visitors and tourism workers remains our first non-negotiable priority.
The Prime Minister noted that this summer will be different compared to the past, because Greece will continue to offer its beauty, but at the same time it will be necessary to respect the health protocols that have been drawn up for the protection of the health of all, workers and visitors, being the ultimate priority.
Our friends from all over the world “will come to a Greece that will be the same, but also different. It will be different, because first and foremost, it will be necessary to strictly observe the basic health protocols, as set out by the Ministries involved, in order for us all to be able to operate, above all, with safety. The protection of public health, the safety of visitors and the safety of tourism workers remain our top non-negotiable priority”, he said.
Underlining one of the messages of the campaign, Kyriakos Mitsotakis pointed out that Greece is not just its sun and sea, but a concept that goes beyond the summer months.
“During these summer holidays, the sense of freedom will be much more appreciated, as we have been voluntarily confined for weeks to protect our individual and collective health. In other words, this summer will be an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. What we want to communicate is that summer is not only a season; rather, it is a concept, a view of things. So, this view of things can accompany us throughout the season”, he declared.
The Prime Minister mentioned that visitor numbers this year will be significantly reduced. But he stressed the long-term dimension of the message for Greek tourism, noting that the goal is for that special Greek summer feeling to “reach” even those who will not be able to visit our country this year.
“This year the number of visitors coming to our country will be significantly reduced compared to the 33 million who arrived last year. We don’t know by how much, no one can make exact predictions. There will be people who would like to come to Greece and will not be able to, either because there will be a reason or because they will not be able to afford it. But this is a campaign that invests not only in 2020, but sees further, in 2021, in 2022”, he said.
We are always ready to add more strings to our bow
In addressing tourism professionals, whom he saluted for their long contribution, Kyriakos Mitsotakis repeated the government’s firm message that it will protect jobs, adding that he is ready to offer further support to the industry and related sectors, if needed.
“I want you to know that we stand by you whenever needed and, by dynamically evaluating the measures we have taken, we are always ready to add more strings to our bow, as we will have data very soon. And we are here, if necessary, to adapt our strategy and further strengthen the tourism sector and, of course, the related sectors of hotels and restaurants, culture, sports.”
The event was prefaced by the Minister of Tourism Mr Harry Theoharis, who stressed that tourism is being opened up following a plan, based on indisputable European data on safe airports, applying strict health protocols for the protection of public health, while also strengthening the health system for the benefit of all.
“The soul of Greece never closed up, it remained and still remains an open invitation, with its heart beating incessantly, non-stop, everywhere, in the length and breadth of the Earth”, declared Mr Theoharis. “This evening rightfully belongs to Greek tourism, to the people of Greek tourism”, he added.
The “Greek summer” is not just a season of the year or only the sun and the sea, it is a feeling pervaded by joy, laughter, nature, our loved ones, declared the chief creative officer in the presidency of the government, Steve Vranakis, who held a central role in the planning of the campaign.
He stressed that the spirit of the new campaign is also aimed at extending the tourist season, to eliminate seasonality and cover the whole year.
Mr Vranakis noted that the philosophy behind the promotion of Greek tourism is consistent with the kind of leadership shown by the Greek government in the management of the pandemic. “In recent months, the leadership demonstrated by the Prime Minister and his team has been a global example of how one should manage a situation of this scale”, he mentioned.
“The decision to act quickly and the safety measures that were immediately implemented led to a transmission rate and a number of deaths which are among the lowest in the world”, he said, adding that his goal is to continue this successful work, building on the collective success of the Greeks.
“We aspire to create a lasting anticipation”
Referring to the philosophy behind the campaign, Marketing Greece CEO Ioanna Dretta spoke of a “message of optimism and hope to the rest of the world”, adding: “A simple message, with light, sounds, memories or desires. Simple and uncluttered.
As befits Greece. Modest and in moderation. As the times dictate. Respecting the unprecedented circumstances across the world. A message full of empathy for what we have been through and where we are now”.
The message, according to Ms Dretta, talks about the unique experience of the Greek summer: “Because the Greek summer is a “state of happiness”. Wherever you are. Whatever you are doing. And we aspire to create a lasting anticipation. To build a new brand. A desire that can be fulfilled, for each person, when the conditions allow it. The Greek summer will always be here”.
The logic of a simple and meaningful campaign
The new Greek tourism campaign entitled “The Greek Summer State Of Mind” aims to remind international travellers of the Greek Summer experience which is not limited to the sun and sea, but consists of something deeper, more real, more human. And that is the feeling of freedom, happiness and anticipation for the better days to come.
With prudence, empathy and respect, the new film showcases this uniqueness of Greece and aspires to create a new brand around its name, that of the Greek Summer. A brand that, at this stage, encourages the public to experience it wherever they are, highlighting the human dimension of Greece, the sharing and understanding one, the one that is ready to welcome you when the time is right. Alongside this dimension and the sharing of everyone’s need to experience their own Greek Summer, opportunities simultaneously arise for the coming year. For the next step. For taking the campaign to the next level.
Below follows the Prime Minister’s full speech:
“Dear Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by saying a big thank you to the contributors of this effort, to Ministry’s officers, to the GNTO, to Marketing Greece, to Steve Vranakis, to the advertising companies that supported this production, which was realised over a relatively short time and certainly in very special and very difficult circumstances.
It is needless to say once again that this year things are completely different from what we had been expecting and this summer will be completely different from what we had been planning. The pandemic changed a lot of things. It changed the way in which we perceive the importance of our health. It brought about a deep, hopefully temporary, economic crisis. It made us all reassess our priorities, the way we live, the way we work.
We are well-aware that Tourism is the industry that has been hit and is being hit the hardest by the crisis of this pandemic. Everyone in the world practically stopped traveling. Countries closed-off their borders and the tourism industry was effectively paralyzed. But all this is starting to change.
In Greece, we were successful in dealing with the first wave of the pandemic. We did well because we all worked together and listened to the experts’ advice, and the entire Greek society stood behind an organised plan. We showed a new sense of collective responsibility and a new trust towards the state, which is nothing but our own collective expression.
And it is precisely this success in tackling the pandemic that has allowed us to gradually return to a new economic normality, gradually releasing – and always following the experts’ advice – various sectors of the economy. Naturally, we could not exclude from this process the highly important sector of tourism. A sector where the Greek economy depends in multiple ways.
We have spoken about and presented in detail – and you know better than I do – what our plan is for gradually opening up the process for entry into the country. How we start, from June 15, by welcoming flights from countries, from airports to be more precise, which are on the EASA’s European list with a low epidemiological load. These visitors will be able into come to the country and testing will be carried out only on a random basis. And from July 1st we hope to be able – and we will be – to extend this opening to most, almost all countries, as long as we do not have unpleasant surprises, and again introduce a new process, where we will carry out targeted random testing, at the same time being open to our friends from all parts of the world who will want to visit Greece.
They will come to a Greece that will be the same, but also different. It will be different, because first and foremost, it will be necessary to strictly observe the basic health protocols, as set out by the Ministries involved, in order for us all to be able to operate, above all, with safety. The protection of public health, the safety of visitors as well as the safety of tourism workers remain our first non-negotiable priority.
We have the major advantage that we effectively spend our summers outside. We are in open spaces. And all experts tell us that the chances of transmission of the virus outdoors are drastically reduced. This does not mean, however, that during this different summer we should not behave with the necessary responsibility and attention. I will insist firmly on this. I know that I am speaking to people who are tourism professionals and have been supporting tourism for many decades, having made Greece the tourist destination it is today. Above all, workers in the tourism sector must strictly comply with personal protective measures.
We will be strict in the inspections that we will carry out in this respect, because it is the least that we can do to protect the hundreds of thousands of workers who will be employed in the tourism industry during the summer.
So, this summer, we open the doors and windows of Greece to the world, gradually but with optimism. We do not advertise or boast about our success in tackling the health crisis.
We present Greece as a destination that one can start seeing through a different perspective. I did find the spot very inventive, having had a lot of discussions with the officers of the Ministry of Tourism and of Marketing Greece and with Steve Vranakis, about what Greece actually is in this world that is facing such a different and great challenge. And it is definitely more than just the sun and the sea.
May these summer holidays – which perhaps are needed more than ever this year – be an opportunity for collective, but also personal reflection, about what our priorities are. During these summer holidays, the sense of freedom will be much more appreciated, as we have been voluntarily confined for weeks to protect our individual and collective health. In other words, this summer will be an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. What we want to communicate is that summer is not only a season, it is a concept, a view of things. So, this view of things can accompany us throughout the season.
Of course, one can also have this experience – and what I will tell you may sound somewhat paradoxical – without necessarily visiting Greece. I am saying this because – let’s not ignore the elephant in the room – this year the number of visitors coming to our country will be significantly reduced compared to the 33 million who arrived last year. We don’t know by how much, no one can make exact predictions. There will be people who would like to come to Greece and will not be able to, either because there will be a reason or because they will not be able to afford it.
But this is a campaign that invests not only in 2020, but sees further, in 2021, in 2022. It sees the potential that we have and towards which we all have to work together this difficult year, to get through it as best we can. And to prepare the great counterattack of Greek tourism, since we will hopefully be finished with the pandemic for good from 2021 onwards.
And it is precisely this image of a country, which can combine common sense with emotion, seriousness and professionalism in dealing with an unprecedented crisis with this feeling of relaxation, joy, happiness, that I believe the Greek summer offers to all of us, this is the image that we want to convey abroad today.
We will not do much. We will support our campaign with a very specific message and I believe that we will respect what Ioanna said, the need to be simple during this difficult period, at this difficult time for the entire planet. This is not a time for fanfare, nor big talk. But we know what we can do, what we have to do and what we shouldn’t do.
To conclude, I would like to address the workers in the field of tourism. I fully recognise that the dominant feeling in the country today, following the satisfaction, which I believe we have rightly taken from dealing with the health crisis, is uncertainty, fear of what will happen this summer, where our economy will go, what the incomes of households and people who are dependent on tourism will be, what will happen in the winter, how will people be able to make ends meet.
I want you to know that as a government we have done everything in our power to support employment above all else. And all the schemes that we have proposed, especially the “Cooperation” scheme, are aimed precisely at this. And I would like to encourage once again tourism professionals to take advantage of these schemes so that they can preserve as many jobs as possible this summer. That is our top priority.
I want you to know that we stand by you whenever needed and, dynamically evaluating the measures we have taken, we are always ready to add more strings to our bow, as we will have data very soon. And we are here, if necessary, to adapt our strategy and further strengthen the tourism sector and, of course, the related sectors of hotels and restaurants, culture, sports.”
But, above all, the responsibility we have to manage at the moment is a collective responsibility. The state is doing everything in its power with a package of financial support, unprecedented for Greece, to support the world of employment and the real economy and the liquidity of businesses. The Guarantee Fund program, which was announced just yesterday, has already received numerous requests. There is a need to support the liquidity of businesses and this is also the aim of the repayable advance, the Entrepreneurship Fund program and the flagship program of the Guarantee Fund.
Of course, we will do everything in our power – and announcements will be made soon by the Ministry of Tourism – to support internal tourism. This year is an opportunity for our fellow citizens who can and want to take a vacation, to rediscover the beauties of our country and to see the Greek summer through completely different eyes.
I wish and hope this spot will have a successful journey. May the tourist season go as well as possible in these difficult, extremely difficult, unique circumstances. From the very first moment we avoided setting quantitative targets or making exact forecasts about the size, the magnitude of the economic recession facing us. Of course, the figures for the first quarter, announced today by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), in the midst of the great economic distress that the entire Greek society is experiencing today, were relatively encouraging – I stress this – relatively encouraging.
A recession of 0.9%, when the average European recession is at 3.8% for the first quarter of 2020. That tells me, but also to anyone, I think, who has common sense, that the Greek economy met the coronavirus crisis with great momentum, that January and February were good months and March was not as bad as was expected. The second quarter will obviously be an especially difficult quarter for the Greek economy but we hope that by the third quarter things will be turning around.
We therefore wish and hope, above all, to be able to welcome visitors safely. Safety is our main concern, but we also wish to give them the opportunity during this special summer to enjoy the Greek summer and the experiences it offers and to see Greece through different eyes.
And may this summer, the summer of 2020, perhaps for reasons different from those we would have imagined three, four, five, six months ago, when the campaign was being planned as we imagined things would be, be a summer that for other reasons, but equally optimistic ones, will be truly memorable.
Thank you very much and I wish you success in this tourist season”
