1. Athens International Tourism Destination
An empirical investigation to the city’s imagery & the role of local DMO’s
Athens International Tourism Destination
INDEPENDENT STUDY, M.Sc, September 2014

2. “ Athens, the eye of Greece, mother of arts and eloquence, native to famous wits”
John Milton,
 Paradise Regained, bk.4, l.240^1

3. Why I chose this subject ?
“ Travel makes one modest.
You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. ” Gustave Flaubert

4. Aim of the project
Identify the role of DMOs in promoting Athens as a tourist destination
Evaluate their effectiveness in terms of marketing and managing

5. Objectives of the Study

6. Objectives of the study
Identify the activities which are performed by DMOs for promoting Athens and to evaluate the strategic role of DMO’s
Identify the importance of destination marketing through its application in the Greek Tourism Industry and the particular case of Athens
Portrait the opinions and activity planning of Greek DMO’s Executives
Provide insights and new trends of high informational value about the Tourism Industry in Athens
Highlight the latest incentives and programming concerning the city’s future developments
Identify the key problems that Athens faces as a tourist destination and to recommend points for improvement

7. Impact of the study
The tourism industry in Greece is one of the most important sectors of the country’s economy it terms of value (Hellenic Statistical Authority, 2014).
Evaluate the contribution of Athens DMO’s towards the rising popularity of the city of Athens as an international destination within the context of Destination Marketing

8. DMO Responsibilities

9. DMOs key responsibilities
Development of sophisticated online marketing strategies
Creation of high quality published material & participation in international tourism fairs
Development of network synergies with airline companies, and international tourism organizations.

10. Tourism in Greece

11. Source: Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises, 2013
Greek tourism figures
Element
Value
Contribution to GDP
16,4 %
Contribution to employment
18,3 %
Employment
International Tourist Receipts
10 billion Euros
International Tourist Arrivals
15,5 millions
Average per Capita Tourism Expenditure
646 Euros
European Market Share
2.9 %
World Market Share
1,5 %
Hotel Capacity
9670 Hotels,
771,271 beds
Source: Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises, 2013

12. Athens as a Tourist Destination

13. International tourist arrivals
Source: Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE, 2013)

14. Destination Marketing

15. Destination marketing framework

16. Destination Marketing Efficiency

17. Destination Marketing efficiency
Key determinants
Author
Destination Marketing efficiency
Chaitip et al. (2008)
Satisfaction of the travel cost
Integrated tourism product
Tourism product attributes
Tourism product management
Buhalis (2001)
Enhance the satisfaction of tourist and delight the visitor
Strengthen long term competitiveness and profitability of the local tourism industry and of the local small and medium-sized tourism enterprises
Develop the sustainability of the destinations and ensure prosperity of host population
Stankovic et al. (2012)
Organization of cultural and sport events
Lopes (2011)
Demographic features of the tourists
Echtner and Ritchie (2003)
Scenery and natural attractions
Pricing strategies
Hospitality and friendliness
Tourist activities
Nightlife and entertainment
Sport facilities / General facilities
National parks and museums
Local infrastracture and transportation Accommodation

18. Destination Management

19. Destination management model

20. Strategic planning

21. Sustainability framework

22. Destination Branding

23. Logo design & Brand image

24. Destination branding framework

25. Destination branding elements

26. Destination Marketing Organizations
(DMOs)

27. WNTO Conceptual framework

28. DMOs & destination firms

29. The goals of DMOs

30. The Role of DMOs

31. Role of DMOs

32. DMO’s in Greece & Athens

33. Local DMOs in Athens

34. Interview Guide

35. Features of qualitative research
The aim is a complete, detailed description
Researcher may only know roughly in advance what he/she is looking for
Recommended during earlier phases of research projects.
The design emerges as the study unfolds
Researcher is the data gathering instrument
Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects
Subjective – individuals interpretation of events is important, uses participant observation, in-depth interviews, etc
Qualitative data is more 'rich', time consuming and less able to be generalized 
Researcher tends to become subjectively immersed in the subject matter

36. Areas of discussion
Question 1: What do you think about the popularity of Greece as a tourist destination?
Question 2: What do you think about the popularity of Athens as a tourist destination?
Question 3: What have you done as an organization to promote Athens ?
Question 4: Do you think Athens can become more popular destination in the near future?
Question 5: What are the main problems & challenges of Athens as a tourist destination?
Question 6: What activities does your organization apply for Athens?
Question 7: Which improvements, your organization should make to increase efficiency ?
Question 8: What do you think about the role of DMOs in promoting tourism ?
Question 9: What can we learn of DMOs in other countries?
Question 10: Destination Marketing, can help Athens to develop touristic offers ?
Question 11: How do you manage the tourist product of Athens, except for marketing? Do you pay attention to sustainable tourism issues?

37. Research limitations
The size of the sample was relatively small A bigger sample would probably enhance the reliability of the research
Qualitative research is not allowing the measure of the examined problems
The analysis may be influenced by factors which were not mentioned in this project
In some cases participants may refused to speak against their organizations

38. Analysis of Findings

39. Profile of participants
4 of the participants were males and 2 were females
3 participants had a bachelor degree and had obtained also a Master Degree
3 of the participants had more than 10 years of working experience in the tourism industry

40. Age range of the participants
Age group
Number of respondents
Percentage (%)
25 – 30 1 17
31 – 40 3 50
41 – 55 2 33
Total number of respondents 6
100

41. Characteristics of Athens

42. Positioning in global market
The main reasons which lead tourist in visiting are the natural beauty, the clean seas, the sunlight and the historical monuments and archaeological sites of the city
DMOs are trying to change the position of Athens to a destination which can offer high level cultural tourism
Participants mentioned that Athens for the moment has limited congress tourism initiatives

43. Accommodation in Athens
2013 and 2014 the tourist arrivals started again to increase seems to be a year with many prospects
The average stay per guest in Athens is near nights
Occupancy of the Hotels in Athens in 2013 was close to 50 %
The average price of hotel rooms in Athens in 2013 was approximately 70 Euros and the revenue per available room 45 Euros

44. Visiting experience A stopover for the islands
The main activity is a visit to the Acropolis and the Parthenon, as well as in the Acropolis museum. Other popular activities are a walk in the city center, shopping, and a visit in the national archeological museum.
Most of the tourists are not informed regarding the events which are running in the city.
The main reason that dissuades visitors from participating in local cultural events, is the language

45. DMOs Promotion Activities

46. DMOs main activities
Promotion through publications and audiovisual media
Participation in international tourism fairs
Creation of network synergies with airline companies, and DMOs from other countries
Joint promotion activities
Online promotion activities and creation of online portals which promote the touristic activities in Athens
Development of a membership program for firms
Creation of promotional products such as umbrellas, bags, blocks, postcards and other souvenirs
Conduction of market research studies for evaluating the current activities and designing future actions

47. DMOs main activities
Publish touristic material such as tourist guides for Athens, thematic brochures, maps, special editions (albums, anniversary editions, series posters, etc.)
Publish material includes high-quality photos and translations from texts of famous Greek authors
ACVB have produced printed promotional material for Athens as a destination City Break, thematic forms (Sightseeing, days in Athens, lifestyle, Daytrips), visitor guides and maps, which have been distributed to more than 150,000 tourists. In the same spirit a video with the title “You in Athens” was created by the GNTO which contained the experiences of tourists who had already visited Athens

48. DMOs main activities
Participate in international tourism exhibitions for promoting Athens. The most representative of these fairs are the ITB, the World Travel Market (WTM), the IMEX and EIVTM.
Hold meetings with hosted buyers and trade visitors and distribute large volumes of information material for Athens and its touristic services.
Establish international collaborations with airline companies, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), International Destination Marketing Association, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), Student Travel Confederation, cultural organizations, museums and institutions in the field of communication

49. Future Plans of the DMOs

50. DMO plans for Athens Establish Athens to the top European destinations
Enhance the brand name of Athens
Develop a communication campaign which will focus in maximization of marketing effectiveness
Continue to cooperate with tour operators, travel agents, foreign DMOs
Develop core communication strategy for the city
Increase participation in international tourism fairs
Sponsor selected events in Greece and abroad
Open new markets & promote domestic tourism

51. Opening new markets
DMOs in the future should promote Athens in the tourist markets of China, Russia, Turkey and USA
Brazil and India are also two key markets in which Greece should obvert

52. Main Problems of Athens

53. Economic recession
Influenced negatively the competitiveness of Athens as a tourist destination
Tourism companies have to face a very high taxation.
Value Added Tax (VAT) in Greece is relatively high (23 %) and this makes Athens an expensive destination

54. Seasonality problems
The vast majority of the tourists visit Athens between June and September
The limited seasonality affects the amount of the tourism revenues
Become more clean and organized as well as complete the major projects of construction
Redevelopment of the city center and the construction of the metropolitan park at the area of old airport

55. Infrastructure problems
The city needs more high quality hotels as well as an improvement in the public transportations inside the city
The coastal front of the city should be connected more easily with the city center allowing visitors to be transported from Acropolis to the beach and conversely

57. Recommendations

58. Recommendations Changes in the income tax Reductions in VAT
Construction of peripheral airports
Opening the retail stores on Sundays especially in the touristic periods & places
Arrangements for the debts of tourism enterprises to pension funds

59. Relationships with other DMOs

60. Partnership network
Update concerning the trends of the global tourism market
Enhance the movement of tourists between cooperating countries
Develop an advanced know-how in destination marketing which in some cases can be adopted from Greek DMOs

61. Regional development

62. Findings

63. Insights & new trends
Popular destination in the global tourism market with many growth prospects
International identity of the country’s destinations

64. DMOs performed activities
Focused in the markets of Germany, UK, France, Holland, Italy, USA, Russia, Balkans and Israel
Focus in seaside leisure tourism and convention tourism.
Not a coordinated effort for the promotion of other types of tourism

65. DMOs action plan
The mission of the DMOs in the next three years is to enhance the tourism in the main cities of Greece and especially in Athens
The communication strategy for Athens in the next years will be based in 5 modules which represent the key sectors of the Greek Tourism: 1) cultural tourism, 2) health tourism, ) luxury tourism, 4) city break tourism and ) convention tourism
Target the tourist emerging markets of China, Russia, Turkey and USA, Brazil and India

67. Results of the study
DMOs are aware of their strategic role & have established strong and long term relationships with DMOs abroad
Partnerships allow the Greek DMOs to be updated concerning the trends of the global tourism market as well as to enhance the movement of tourists between cooperating countries

68. Stakeholders strategic role
Collaboration between public and private DMOs in Greece is satisfactory
Promotion of Athens requires a more concerted effort between the public and the private stakeholders which are involved in the tourism industry
Multiply the benefits for businesses, the state and the society in general

69. Research Suggestions

70. Future research Sample of the study was limited
future studies can conduct more personal interviews
The sample included only executives who were working in DMOs.
Other papers can conduct interviews also with tourists, tourism consultants, and tourism entrepreneurs
The dissertation was based only in Athens.
Future projects can compare the role of the DMOs in different destinations
Other papers can also use quantitative research approaches

71. Charts & Data

72. Greek tourism statistics

73. Greek tourism statistics

74. Personal Reflection

76. Experiential learning
Lewis and Williams (1994):
“In its simplest form, experiential learning means learning from experience or learning by doing. Experiential education first immerses learners in an experience and then encourages reflection about the experience to develop new skills, new attitudes, or new ways of thinking.”
Compartmentalized learning doesn’t reflect the real world, while as the experiential classroom works to create an interdisciplinary learning experience that mimics real world learning (Wurdinger, 2005)

77. Living the Experience

78. Learning outcomes I spent many hours doing this project
Set goals, you can achieve anything
Persistence pays
Just push yourself
Enjoy what you do, it is much easier to excel
Gain new colleagues, partners and business friends to share academic & personal thoughts

79. Understand self-awareness
I truly enjoyed the experience of writing a thesis, at least most of it!
I am the type of person who loves to learn and always seeks to obtain more knowledge in and out of the classroom
I am especially passionate about learning things that pertain to my major and my future career

80. Me…the Researcher!

81. Reading for the thesis Many scientific articles Relevant literature
Previous research on topic
Reflecting on the experiences of this thesis, I am reflecting on a journey, my personal journey into the world of destination marketing…

82. …Like any journey, some of the most memorable experiences come from side trips that take us out of our comfort zones, changing us forever

83. Keeping the motive Very intriguing and exciting subject
I liked learning about the destination marketing disciplinary and the Greek tourism market
The information I read was of great value
Independent study was task-oriented
Demand of my academic view and critique of things

84. When we find what we look for…
The view of our discovery is compensating

85. Challenges to overcome
Demanding & time-consuming
Transcribing all interviews
Which data I would use, to produce a unique “product”
Became more confident in my interpretation of events and behaviors

86. Bibliography & References

87. Literary sources
Angella, F. (2008), Destination management and stakeholders' collaboration in urban destinations
Angella, F., Go, F., (2010), Tale of two cities’ collaborative tourism marketing: Towards a theory of destination stakeholder assessment, Tourism Management Vol.30, pp.429–440
Bell, J. (2005), Doing your Research Project, Buckingham, Open University Press.
Blumberg, K. (2005), “Tourism Destination Marketing –A Tool for Destination Management? A Case Study from Nelson/Tasman Region, New Zealand”, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 10(1): 45-57
Bornhorst, T., Ritchie, B., & Sheehan, L. (2010), “Determinants of tourism success for DMOs & destinations: An empirical examination of stakeholders’ perspectives”, Tourism Management, 31, 572–589
Buhalis D. and Deimezi O., 2004, “E-tourism developments in Greece: Information communication technologies adoption for the strategic management of the Greek tourism industry”, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 5 (2):
Buhalis, D. (2001), Tourism in Greece: Strategic Analysis and Challenges, Current Issues in Tourism, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp
Buhalis, D., & Michopoulou, E. (2011), “Information-enabled tourism destination marketing: addressing the accessibility market”, Current Issues in Tourism, 14(2): 145–168
Chaitip, P., Chaboonsri, C., Kovacs, S., Balogh, P. (2008), A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL: GREECE’STOURISM DEMAND FOR TOURIST DESTINATION, Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, Vol. 1., pp

88. Keywords & Terms

89. Electronic sources

90. Photo Attribution From flickr.com
Moimois, syedahurra,anttsichlas, frans sellies, fiorenza baratti, chanc, elia locardi, christophe anagnostopoulou, ioannisdg, ihashb33r, totororo-roro,dimakk, ekounoupamelissa, chartouliarissa, darrellg, lucie, showinmyeyes
From Google image with the use of presentation titles, as search keywords

91. Acknowledgements

92. I appreciate your help
Prof. George Roumeliotis. His wisdom, knowledge and commitment to the highest standards, inspired and motivated me
Prof. Ioanna Tsoka, who carefully analyzed the theoretical and research grounds for the study
Dr. George Papadakis, who expressed great trust in my skills and character
My friends and colleagues: Venia, Nikitas, Romina, who inspired my final efforts despite the enormous work pressures
The executives from the DMO’s
Mediterranean college administration staff

93. For Answers - Contact me!

94. To see & review my thesis, go to Academia.edu

95. Welcome
to the Post-Graduate
side of Life!

96. #EnjoyAthens

97. Enjoy Your trip! 

98. Always Remember

99. ………..……..FINALLY……………….

100. Now I can go back to
live my city