“Monuments and antiques exist because there are people who visit them. And tourism is the main means of getting visitors,” says Ioanna Doretta, walking through downtown Athens. Dimitris Athanasouris, director of the Cycladic Antiquities Authority, said: President of Marketing Greece. [Nikos Kokkalias]
The head of the Ministry of Culture, responsible for antiquities in the Cyclades, hit the nail on the head when he cited one of Greece’s most popular islands to illustrate the imbalance between culture and tourism. “About 2.5 million foreign tourists choose Mykonos every year, but only 185,000 of them make the short boat trip to Delos,” once the Aegean’s most sacred destination. Dimitris Athanasoulis talks about the protected ruins.
Even considering that Delos is a seasonal place, it is a big difference that it is closed when the weather is not suitable for navigation, and visitors have to pay not only the entrance fee but also the cost of the boat trip.
It’s not just Mykonos. There are enough examples of this divide that between the archaeologists responsible for protecting, researching and promoting the archipelago’s remains and the president of Marketing Greece, a private organization aimed at promoting tourism in Greece, and REDS. CEO Ioanna Doretta has come to the same conclusion. Member of Ellaktor Group. She looks at how to bring the two worlds of culture and tourism closer together for the benefit of both. Ahead of what is expected to be another tourist boom season, Mr. Kathimerini contacted Mr. Athanasouris and Mr. Doretta to learn about their plans and see how they are progressing.
fact
Doretta puts things into perspective by outlining certain facts. “According to the latest research, Greek tourism is one of the top five brands in the world, third in sun and sea products and eighth in marine tourism, but not even among them when it comes to culture. No. Top 10,” she says.
“Thus, there is a problem and many missed opportunities because people seeking cultural experiences are highly educated, frequently travel, immersed in their chosen destinations, and are discerning visitors. It is clear that these opportunities are the responsibility of both departments,” she added.
“Ioanna and I started working together because we were aware of the problem. We were certainly concerned about two parallel worlds that were difficult to integrate, even though we knew that one depended on the other. The heads of tourism and the heads of monuments come from completely different starting points, and it is not in their power, at least at first glance, to understand the relationship and connection between the two, ”Athanasoulis said. says.
“Speaking for archaeologists, overexploitation in certain areas of the country is essentially interpreted as indicating that tourism is a threat to the cultural environment, provoking a defensive response. Let me give you an example. This also relates to Delos. Some of my colleagues say, “Why on earth does Delos need a promotion?” Believing that our country is the most beautiful country in the world is at the root of the problem. Because it makes us believe that we don’t need to do anything. But monuments and antiques exist because there are people who visit them, and tourism is the main means of getting visitors. For archaeologists, therefore, tourism is not a necessary evil, but an essential goal. Public archeology showcases our cultural heritage, but this can only be achieved through tourism. The question every time is how to strike a balance. On the one hand, it is about receiving the visitors who are essential to the monument’s survival, and on the other hand, ensuring that overtourism does not eat up non-renewable cultural resources. And in cases where many interventions are irreversible,” the archaeologist added.
“Those in charge of tourism and those in charge of monuments have completely different starting points.”
sustainability
So what makes this relationship between tourism and culture so fraught, if, as Doretta admits, “when we sit at the same table, we have so much in common and so often unite us”? Why? When does skepticism overshadow the spirit of cooperation? “The relationship between the two worlds becomes toxic primarily as a result of the public’s experience with the protection of monuments” ” she says. “The result of red tape, understaffing and delays is a negative burden. But every time people of culture and tourism come together at an event, an action or a conference, we realize how much we have in common and how much we have to deal with self-criticism. I have to say it shows that there is sincere effort.”
We ask Athanasoulis about the subject of self-criticism and where the fault lies with civilized people. “It lies in the approach to commenting and in the lack of recognition that tourism is the main target,” he says without hesitation. “The second point I would like to make is that while there are certainly delays that create a negative bias when it comes to investment, we must remember that archaeological services are not simply a mechanism for managing and promoting cultural heritage. It’s both a monitoring mechanism and a mechanism specifically for preventing violations. I agree that things have improved in recent years, but more needs to be done. However, this is not completely under the control of the Department of Archaeology, and due to the lack of personnel in the Department, it is unclear how these problems can be resolved as interest increases. But that’s the job of the ministry. What we want is to bring the two worlds closer together, and the conditions are there.”
Archaeological services are often dysfunctional and are the easiest targets to blame for problems, but with restrictions and the utmost care, islands, traditional settlements and cultural heritage sites can be rampant. It also plays a role in protecting the area from tourist use and construction. Their competency – that the law is followed.
There are also questions about whether the tourism industry, which has remained strong in recent years, is also playing a role in preserving the country’s cultural heritage.
Doretta doesn’t do anything reckless. “The tourism industry has not provided sufficient financial support to cultural initiatives. It does not pursue cooperation as vigorously as it needs to to find common ground and areas of convergence. They have not embraced it with enthusiasm.The fault lies in the fact that the cultural experiences that Greece offers have not been organically incorporated into tourism products, and in order to become a product, they must be packaged in tourism. must be incorporated. “If those of us in the tourism industry aren’t including all these activities in our offer in an organic and natural way, that’s a problem,” she says.
challenge
Both experts agree that the biggest challenge for Greece at the moment is related to sustainability. “For tourism, sustainability is a big bet that has to be won moving forward. The need to manage products in a way that is sustainable from a social, economic and environmental perspective, as well as being beneficial to both society and the economy. ,” Doretta said.
“We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot. We saw what happened last year in Mykonos and elsewhere. A healthy tourism business needs to recalibrate and those who don’t uphold standards will They need to be removed because they undermine the country,” Athanasouris said, referring to attacks on archaeologists who held powerful interests on the island, whose business activities violated many cultures. and environmental protection laws.
Mr. Athanasoulis cited Italy as an example of successful cooperation between the tourism and cultural heritage sectors. “Research shows that Greek cultural products are considered too one-dimensional, such as mere ancient relics, such as the Column of Delphi and the Column of Knossos. However, the history of Greece is incredibly rich and “If all the different parties work together in the right way, there is no limit to what can be done,” he added.
