The Tourism of Greece

Chapter One: General Presentation

Greece ,officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north and by Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both, parts of the eastern Mediterranean basin, feature a vast number of islands. Greece lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is heir to the heritages of classical Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule.

Today, Greece is a developed country, a member of the European Union since 1981 and a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union since 2001.Athens is the capital; Thessaloniki, Piraeus and Patras are some of the country's other major cities.

- Languages: Official language: Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French). Greek is one of the most ancient languages in the world and etymologically has provided the roots for many words in other languages as well as international scientific terminology. It has been orally transmitted for 4,000 centuries, and has been written for about 3 milleniums. Greek plays an important role in the etymology of Indo-european languages and in the international scientific terminology.

- Ethnic groups: Greek 98%, Turkish and other 2%

- Religion: Christian orthodox 98% , muslims: 1,3%, others: 0,7%.

- Political context: Greece is a Republic state based on parliamentary democracy. Greece (official name: Hellenic Republic) was a monarchy up to 1974. President is the chief of state and is elected by parliament for a five-year term.

- Currency: The currency is the EURO. Its greek name is Evro, which is the second official (and equivalent) name through EU for the new currency of the EMU-participating States.

Greece operates a capitalist economy that produced a GDP of $251.7 billion in 2006. The principal economic activities mainly include the tourism and shipping industries, banking & finance, manufacturing and construction and telecommunications. The country serves as the regional business hub for many of the world's largest multinational companies.The people of Greece enjoy a high standard of living.

Greece is one of the most visited European countries, yet one of the least known. The modern Greek state dates only from 1830 and bears little relation to the popular image of ancient Greece. At a geographical crossroads, Greece combines elements of the Balkans, Middle East and Mediterranean. For a relatively small country, less than 132.000 sq km in aria, Greece possesses marked regional differences in topography. Nearly three-quarters of the land is mountainous, uninhabited or uncultivated. A third of the population lives in the capital, Athens, the cultural, financial and political center, in which ancient and modern stand side by side. Compared to most of its Balkan neighbours, Greece is a wealthy and stable country, but by Western economic indicators Greece languishes at the bottom of the UE league table, and will be a net EU beneficiary for some years to come. With EU membership since 1981 and nominally capitalist orientation, Greece has now overcome its resemblance to pre-1989 Eastern Europe. The state no longer invests heavily in antiquated industries nor is the civil service of today overstaffed as part of a full-employment policy. Instead, recent years have seen a number of improvements: loss-making state enterprises have been sold off, inflation has dipped to single figures for the first time since 1973 and interest rates have fallen.

- Costs and money:

Greece is no longer a cheap country. Prices have rocketed since the adoption of the euro in 2002. It’s hard to belive that inflation is less than 4% as claimed by the government, when prices have risen by more than 50% in two years. Lonely Planet’s researchers have recorded some dramatic price rises, particularly for accommodation and restaurant meals. A rock-bottom daily budget for a solo traveler would be 40 euro. This would mean hitching staying in youth hostels or camping, and only occasionally eating in restaurants or taking ferries. Allow at least 80 euro per day if you want your own room and plan to eat out, as well as travelling about and seeing the sights. If you want comfortable rooms and restaurants all the way, you will need close to 120 euro per day. These budgets are for individuals travelling in high season (July/August). Couples sharing a room can get by on less. Your money will go further if you travel in the quieter months. Accommodation is a lot cheaper outside high season – particularly on the islands. You will also be able to negociate better deals if you stay a few days. Families can achieve big savings by looking for rooms with kitchen facilities.

- When to go:

Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit Greece. Most of the country’s tourist infrastructure goes into hibernation during winter, particularly on the islands. Some of the smaller islands close completely, and islanders head off to alternative homes in Athens for a few months. Many hotels close their doors from the end of November until the beginning of April, along with seasonal cafes and restaurants; bus and ferry services are either drastically reduced or plain cancelled. The cobwebs are dusted off in time for Easter, when the first tourists start to arrive. Conditions are perfect between Easter and mid-June, when the weather is pleasantly warm in most places; beaches and ancient sites are relatively uncrowded; public transport operates al close to full schedules; and accommodation is cheaper and easy to find. Mid-June until the end of August is the high season. It’s party time on the islands and everything is in full swing. It’s also very hot – in July and August the mercury can soar to 40oC (over 100oF) in the shade just about anywhere in the country; the beaches are crowded; in the ancient sites are swarming with tour groups; and in many places accommodation is booked solid.

The season starts to wind down in September, and conditions are ideal once more until the end of October. By November the endless blue skies of summer have disappeared. November to February are the wettest months. It can get surprisingly cold. Snow is common on the mainland and in the mountains of Evia and Crete; it occasionally snows in Athens. There are also plenty of sunny days and some visitors prefer the tranquillity that reigns.