Interview with Lillian Psylla
Ioanna Drettas,
Managing Director
The CEO of the private sector alliance for tourism, Marketing Greece, Ms Ioanna Drettas talks to grtraveller about the major changes in the perception of the traveller and how the organisation is promoting Greece, with an emphasis on experience tourism.
What is the role and objective of Marketing Greece in the promotion of the Greek tourism product?
At Marketing Greece we seek through our actions and initiatives to strengthen the brand Greece. We achieve this by joining forces with everyone, by emphasizing experience tourism, by highlighting the characteristics of Greece that make it different, by evolving and upgrading our available tools and, of course, by sharing our knowledge and expertise.
Is Greece a destination of life for foreigners?
Greece is a trip of a lifetime for many people, and this is a conquest due both to the contact and intimacy that visitors build with the locals and the level of service that Greek tourism offers. Primarily, however, this conquest is due to the concepts that the Greek summer contains, which are none other than freedom and happiness. Feelings evoked through contact with nature and people. I believe that these feelings that one experiences in our country are the ones that put Greece at the top of the traveler’s desires.
‘I find that these feelings
that one experiences in our country,
are also the ones that put Greece
at the top of the traveller’s desires’
Are there any city break destinations in Greece?
Athens and Thessaloniki are the most popular city break destinations in Greece. Athens has been a pioneer and has been investing in the city break product for several years now, through This is Athens & Partners, in which we have been actively involved from the very first moment. The same strategy has been successfully adopted by Thessaloniki, offering the international travelling public an additional option. Unfortunately, their upward trend was interrupted by the pandemic, but I believe that with our return to normality both cities will dynamically claim their share of the market.
Does the recipe “sun and sea” have a timeless value or do we need to deepen the experience tourism?
The product “sun and sea” has been and will remain the strongest product we have as a country and in no way should it be removed from our overall image as a tourist destination. The point is to build the experiences that will accompany it. So it is not a question of choice but of evolution of what we offer to our visitors.
What are the challenges of the modern era that will make Greece a destination for all year round?
The challenges of the modern era concern the way and the speed with which Greek tourism will manage to adopt and incorporate all those new trends that are emerging as a result of the pandemic. These are sustainability, through a holistic approach, and digital transformation. Through this process, tourism will redefine its product and we will manage to achieve the mitigation of seasonality.
Which forms of thematic tourism are developed and which need to be strengthened?
I believe that almost all thematic forms of tourism have been promoted and promoted, some with more specific strategies, others with more soft
Approach. I would say that it is also the right time – on the occasion of the new trends that have emerged as a result of the pandemic, such as contact with nature and the need for personal space – for the themes that respond to these trends to be developed and highlighted.
The top desire of a traveller is to feel a place with all his senses?
The modern traveller not only desires, but seeks to experience 100% of what a destination offers through emotions. It is a way to connect with the local element and its people. Especially in the post-covid era, where experience tourism is transforming from a niche market to a key driver of tourism demand worldwide. The visitor now becomes an explorer and participates in experiences that awaken his senses. This major change of perception in tourism was also incorporated by discovergreece.com, which at the beginning of 2020 went through a redesign.
The modern traveller, not just wants,
but seeks to experience at 100%
everything a destination has to offer
through emotions.
What is the answer to a traveller’s question “Why Greece?”
Because it is a country still largely unexplored. There are many destinations in the country and many of them are still at a low level of visibility. Because its gastronomy, culture and civilization are inexhaustible. Because the emotions one experiences in Greece are the best souvenirs one can take with them when leaving the country.
Which island comes to your mind when you close your eyes?
I’m a lover of the combination of white and blue, so every time I think of the Greek summer, my thoughts turn to one of the Cycladic islands, which I visit every year. This unique Cycladic aura calms me down completely and it is not easy for me to choose one of them all, so I would say with certainty that the Cyclades are the protagonists of my thoughts.
