Olympic Games & Tourism: The Greek Experience Mr. Georgios Drakopoulos Director General, SETE - Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises Vice Chairman, UNWTO Affiliate Members International Tourism Conference Tourism as Inducer of Development, Social Inclusion and Regional Integration 28 and 29 November 2011, Fortaleza, Brazil

Hosting the Olympic Games -Communication issues Media interest Capacity Readiness Safety & Security Hotel prices Destination overload New tourism policy Greek tourism today Recommendations Contents

Rio st IOC Session, Copenhagen, 2 October 2009 Round123 Rio de Janeiro Madrid Tokyo2220 Chicago18

Pre Games Period Increased media interest Organizing issues Capacity? Readiness? Safety & Security? Hosting the Olympic Games - Communication issues Year of the Games Fears for: Price increases Very busy at destination

Mass media exposure GR BR 2004

Mass media content focus BR GR General information Infrastructure, Safety… Olympic Games Tourist information Overload, Prices…

Capacity Sports venues needed33 Non-sport venues needed13 Total 46 Existing 12 New 34

Readiness Will Greece make it?

March 2004, 5 months before the Games Greece has a new government Please remind me when is the starting date of the Games? 1st meeting of the cabinet…PM asks the Sports and Culture Minister (SCM): 13th of August! Oh! It is tomorrow! And we have so many projects pending! The opening ceremony is in the morning or in the evening? Fantastic! Plenty of time! The projects will be ready! Late in the evening Mr. PM, 21:30. PM SCM

Safety By the 1980s, violence and crime plagued the country, and Rio was perceived as the sort of place where walking down the street was asking for a mugging. Cariocas began to fear for the future of their city. Rio remains a deeply, deeply disturbing place. Three million of the city's 14 million live in favelas, beyond government control, under the medieval- style governance of drug lords. In 2008, there were some 5,000 murders.

Security C4I,CCTV, GIS…65 interrelated systems Cost: €650 mi. Security staff: special security trainings 11 operational readiness exercises

Prices increase? Athens hotels (3* to 5*)

Very busy at the destination? Athens hotels (3* to 5*)

Very busy at the destination? Athens hotels (3* to 5*)

YearArrivals% Receipts mi. € % , ,88% ,80 8,98% Greek Tourism Performance

Greece: European football champion

It was a success…. “Expectations Surpassed by Athens” The Sunday Times “Proud Athens Emerges In Triumph” The Sunday Telegraph “The Greeks are the world’s greatest myth making people and they have given us a series of tales and a collection of elemental heroes that will haunt our imaginations.” The Times “… So much unpredictability in a frame of such beautiful blue. The Athens Games were a triumph” The Telegraph

Media Impact hrs of TV coverage of the Games channels from 203 countries hrs direct coverage from Athens Olympic Broadcasting 3,9 billion worldwide TV viewers € 1,5 billion revenues from TV On average TV hours  14 for a European  17,5 for a Greek  29 for a Chinese representatives from radio representatives from paper press and photographers

Greek brand: 5 yrs ahead Increase in visits & exports New patterns for tourism Urban improvement Creation of new attractions New attitude of the operators Structuring efficient management More impact

Greece as a tourist destination ???

Olympic Games and Evolution of Awareness 100% 25% Olympic Games Year 12 Year 3 Awareness of the brand

New Policies Product Marketing Branding Communication Short termlong term

+Accomplishment of Key Factors +Competitive Situation +Demand projections +Profitability Strongly Invest Make it Excellent Invest to Improve Competitiveness Invest to Improve Attractiveness Competitiveness Plan Invest Selectively Invest Attractiveness Plan Invest Selectively Manage Growth Control Growth Strongly Manage or Abandon + Attractiveness + Competitiveness Portfolio Strategy

Sea & Sun Wellness Tourism Touring City Breaks Conference Nautical Countryside Cultural Gastronomy 9 Product - Specific Marketing Plans

Greek tourism - Post Olympic Results Arrivals% Receipts (mi. €)% ,88% ,80 8,98% ,94%10.729,503,69% ,46%11.356,705,85% ,52%11.319,20-0,33% ,40%11.635,902,80% ,43%10.400,20-10,62% ,62%9.611,30-7,59% 2011(est.) ,95% ,43 10,00%

Recommendations Design Olympic Strategies for 3 periods: Olympic yearPre Olympic Post Olympic Establish Olympic Unit within EMBRATUR

Thank you for your attention I wish you a fantastic Olympic experience!