Location Greece is located in the Mediterranean Sea, south east of Europe, between the countries of Albania and Turkey. Greece is a peninsular country, which means that it is surrounded by water on at least three sides. The Mediterranean location of Greece provides tourists with warm weather, blue skies, and crystal clear water. The close proximity of Greece to Europe also allows for easy travel, which benefits tourism.
Brief History Greece has an abundant and colorful history. Early Greece is marked by “flourishing settlements” that developed rich “cultural patterns” (Greece, 2014). These settlements and cultural patterns can still be seen and experienced on the Greek islands, which drive tourists to these destinations.
Population and Demographics
…show more content…
One positive impact is family involvement. Greek families stay close to one another and to create a living for themselves, many families have begun their own businesses or attractions. Another positive social impact from tourism is the personalized relationships that develop (Buhalis, 2001). With family owned businesses, tourists have the opportunity to build relationships with the locals, which positively impacts the culture and daily life in Greece. Tourism can also positively impact the strong character of the locals. The Greek locals realize how the tourists react to such a strong history and culture, and I think this only improves the character that the locals express. It keeps that culture alive. However, tourism can also negatively impact the social aspects of Greece. One example of this can be the “lack of strategic and operational management” (Buhalis, 2001). When hospitality companies lack skill in this area, it can make tourists’ satisfaction decrease. If there is a bad experience, that specific tourist may not return to Greece. Managerial problems seem to be a trend in Greece, according to Buhalis. Aside from the lack of operational management, there seems to be a lack of vision as well. Companies have begun to “recruit family members and relatives… even though more qualified alternatives can be found” (Buhalis, 2001). Having a close-knit family to operate a tourism business may push other locals …show more content…
Being a peninsular country, travel to the country itself isn’t always the easiest. Travel between cities in Greece is not easy either. While some tourists may be drawn to the exclusiveness of Greece, others may want to see all that they can. This may deter them from doing so which can act as a barrier to tourism to specific cities. Another barrier to tourism development is the seasonality of Greece. As stated before, Greece experiences seasons where travel is heavier than others. The winter months prove to be slow for Greece, as many tourists are there for the beaches and outside weather. One last barrier that Greece faces when it comes to tourism is Greece’s current economic crisis. Tourists may reject the idea of travelling to Greece out of fear that it is unsafe. Their economic crisis is also causing concern to tourists in regards to “reliability of hospitals” which has been pushing tourists to travel to “alternatives such as Spain and Italy” (Economist, 2015). Any and all barriers to tourism that Greece faces can potentially be detrimental as Greece depends on tourism so