Άρθρο για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό στο περιοδικό “Wiadomosci Turystyczne” – Προβολή της δράσης του ΕΟΤ “True Greece”

Το τουριστικό κλαδικό περιοδικό “Wiadomości Turystyczne” («Τουριστικές Ειδήσεις») (τεύχος 14 / 16-31 Ιουλίου 2012), δημοσίευσε άρθρο της δημοσιογράφου Marzena German, με τίτλο «Οι Έλληνες σε διαδικτυακή διαφημιστική επίθεση», υπέρτιτλο «Η προώθηση των προορισμών. Ο ΕΟΤ επικεντρώνεται στην προώθηση της χώρας στο διαδίκτυο» και υπότιτλο «Ο Ελληνικός Οργανισμός Τουρισμού (ΕΟΤ) ανέπτυξε ένα νέο εργαλείο μάρκετινγκ, το οποίο έχει σχεδιαστεί για να συμβάλει στην διαφαινόμενη αναστροφή της πτωτικής τάσης των τουριστικών αφίξεων», το οποίο αναφέρεται στην προώθηση του ελληνικού τουρισμού στο διαδίκτυο, η οποία εγκαινιάστηκε από τον ΕΟΤ το περασμένο καλοκαίρι.
Για την δράση του ΕΟΤ “True Greece” η δημοσιογράφος είχε ενημερωθεί από το Γραφείο Τύπου.
Ακολουθεί πλήρης μετάφραση του δημοσιεύματος:
«Το εργαλείο αυτό θα είναι μια διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα, η οποία πρόκειται να ενσωματωθεί στην τρέχουσα διαφημιστική εκστρατεία της χώρας. Στόχος της διαφήμισης είναι η παρουσίαση των θετικών πτυχών της τουριστικής αναψυχής στην Ελλάδα. Η νέα πλατφόρμα δημιουργείται σε συνεργασία του ΕΟΤ με εκπροσώπους του υπουργείου Πολιτισμού και Τουρισμού, του τουριστικού τομέα και άλλων φορέων.
Μέχρι τώρα ο ΕΟΤ αξιοποιούσε στις δράσεις του διαδικτυακά εργαλεία, μεταξύ άλλων τα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης, στα οποία καταχωρούνται πληροφορίες για την Ελλάδα. Τα σχέδια του ΕΟΤ περιλαμβάνουν την συνέχιση των υφιστάμενων δράσεων, αλλά και την παρακολούθησή τους, η οποία μπορεί να πραγματοποιηθεί χάρη στην εφαρμογή των εργαλείων διαχείρισης πληροφοριών στο διαδίκτυο, καθώς και μέσω της ανάλυσης των σχολίων, απόψεων και παρατηρήσεων που αφορούν στην Ελλάδα ως χώρα τουριστικού προορισμού. Τα σχέδια περιλαμβάνουν την χρήση βίντεο (ταινιών), απόψεων, μηνυμάτων, tweets και συστάσεων των χρηστών του διαδικτύου. Η πρωτοβουλία βασίζεται σε τρεις πυλώνες επικοινωνίας, οι οποίοι στόχο έχουν την παροχή πληροφοριών σχετικά με: μεθόδους υποστήριξης της επιχειρηματικής δραστηριότητας, οι οποίες δεν έχουν επηρεαστεί από την οικονομική κρίση, προτάσεις προσφορών για διακοπές βασιζόμενες στη σχέση τιμής και ποιότητας, προβολή της χώρας ως ασφαλούς τουριστικού προορισμού.
Κεντρικός στόχος αυτής της πρωτοβουλίας είναι η προώθηση της χώρας από τουριστικής σκοπιάς, η παρουσίαση των πλεονεκτημάτων του ελληνικού τουριστικού προϊόντος, καθώς και η διάδοση των θετικών σχολίων των τουριστών που επισκέπτονται την Ελλάδα. Για την δημιουργία θετικής εικόνας της Ελλάδας έχουν προσκληθεί εθελοντές, οι οποίοι εντοπίζουν στο διαδίκτυο αρνητικές καταχωρίσεις και απαντούν σ΄αυτές. Οι εθελοντές επιλέγονται με κριτήρια την άριστη γνώση της αγγλικής γλώσσας, καθώς και την ικανότητα επικοινωνίας στα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης.
Η πρωτοβουλία έχει υποστηριχθεί μέχρι τώρα από κυβερνητικούς φορείς, όπως η ΕΡΤ, το Αθηναϊκό Πρακτορείο Ειδήσεων και το Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών. Οι ανωτέρω φορείς θα συμμετάσχουν στην προώθηση των δραστηριοτήτων μέσω της παρακολούθησης και της συλλογής πληροφοριών και άλλου υλικού. Επίσης, θα συνεργάζονται με τα τοπικά, εθνικά και διεθνή ΜΜΕ. Ο προϋπολογισμός του σχεδίου είναι άγνωστος».

International Court of Justice Ruling on Distomo Case

In an announcement, issued on February 3, concerning an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling upholding Germany’s position, that it enjoys state immunity from being sued in foreign courts by victims of Nazi atrocities during World War II, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the Greek government will study this Judgement closely, in the light of its firm and longstanding position that the matter of German compensations remains open.
The judgement affects the case of the south-central Greek village of Distomo, where Nazi troops killed 214 civilians on June 10, 1944, one of the numerous instances of WWII atrocities in occupied Greece. The court case concerned the confiscation of German property on Italian soil for reparations to be paid to victims of Distomo.

• MPs Raise War Reparations Issue

Meanwhile, in Athens, 28 MPs from PASOK, New Democracy (ND), Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) as well as independent deputies tabled a motion in Parliament requesting a discussion on issues concerning the so-called German occupation loan from Greece during WWII, as well as the issue of war reparations to victims of Nazi atrocities and stolen treasures from the country.
In a letter addressed to the presidents of competent parliamentary committees, the MPs called on Parliament to adopt a clear stance on this “crucial national issue.”
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

Τουριστικό άρθρο για την Ελλάδα (περιοδικό “Wiadomości Turystyczne”) – Δηλώσεις πρέσβη Γ. Κοπτσίδη για τον τουρισμό

Το κλαδικό περιοδικό “Wiadomości Turystyczne” («Τουριστικές Ειδήσεις»), σε ειδική έκδοση στο τεύχος Απριλίου που κυκλοφόρησε με την ευκαιρία της τουριστικής έκθεσης «Targi Turystyki i Wypoczynku LATO» (1-3/4/2011),  παρουσίασε τους δημοφιλέστερους τουριστικούς προορισμούς των Πολωνών (Κίνα, Κύπρος, Αίγυπτος, Ελλάδα, Ισπανία, Ιρλανδία, Λιθουανία, Μαρόκο, Γερμανία, Νορβηγία, Τυνησία, Τουρκία και Ιταλία), εστιάζοντας την προσοχή όχι μόνο στα τουριστικά αξιοθέατα, αλλά και σε χρήσιμες πληροφορίες που θα αποτρέψουν ενδεχόμενους κινδύνους και απειλές κατά την διάρκεια της παραμονής των τουριστών στην επιλεγμένη χώρα (διαφορετική βακτηριακή χλωρίδα, υγειονομικές ρυθµίσεις, κανόνες ασφαλείας, πολιτισμικές ιδιαιτερότητες κλπ.).
Στη δισέλιδη ενότητα που είναι αφιερωμένη στην Ελλάδα και τιτλοφορείται “Χώρα  χιλιάδων νησιών”,  υπογραμμίζεται ότι «τα ελληνικά νησιά συνδυάζουν όλα όσα είναι απαραίτητα για τις διακοπές – τον ήλιο, τη γαλάζια θάλασσα, παραλίες όλων των ειδών, σημαντικά μνημεία και γλέντι μέχρι πρωίας”.
Αναφέρονται, επίσης, πρακτικές πληροφορίες και στοιχεία που αφορούν στη γεωγραφική θέση, το κλίμα, τον πληθυσμό και τη θρησκεία, και παρουσιάζονται οι “5 κορυφαίοι τουριστικοί προορισμοί στην Ελλάδα”  (Κρήτη, Δωδεκάνησα, Θάσος,  Εύβοια και Σαντορίνη) και τα «κορυφαία αξιοθέατα» (το παλάτι της Κνωσού, οι Δελφοί και η πόλη της Ρόδου).
Για τους τουρίστες που προτιμούν να ξεφύγουν από τις πολυσύχναστες τουριστικές διαδρομές, προτείνονται οι Κυκλάδες (Μήλος, Δήλος, Μύκονος, Πάρος).
Στην ενότητα φιλοξενείται δήλωση του πρέσβη Γαβριήλ Κοπτσίδη, όπου επισημαίνεται ότι: «η Ελλάδα αποτελεί για την Πολωνία μια χώρα με αυξανόμενο τουριστικό ενδιαφέρον. Μια χώρα που στο σύνολό της παραμένει ελκυστική και ήρεμη, όπως πάντα. Όπως το ίδιο ήρεμα και ανέπαφα από την οικονομική κρίση παραμένουν τα παραδοσιακά νησιά, οι γαλάζιες θάλασσες και το ευχάριστο ελληνικό κλίμα.

Farewell to Iakovos Kambanellis

Iakovos Kambanellis, one of the most prominent figures of post-war Greek literature, died yesterday at the age of 89.

Kambanellis was born on the island of Naxos and studied design in Athens. During the Nazi occupation of Greece in WW2 he became actively involved in the Resistance movement. He was arrested by the German occupying forces in 1943 and was sent to Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, from which he was liberated by the Allied Forces in 1945.

His legendary Mauthausen novel, which describes his experience as a concentration camp survivor, was set to music by Mikis Theodorakis and became one of the most influential works in Greek culture.

He wrote more than twenty plays and twelve film scripts, including Stella by Michael Cacoyannis and The Dragon by Nikos Koundouros. In an announcement, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism expressed deep regret for Kambanellis’ passing, noting that the deceased defined the style of post-war Greek theatre, adding that his works were deeply loved by the Greek audience, as they soberly and truthfully depicted the reality of life in Greece, its difficulties and joys.

ERT Digital Archive: Iakovos Kambanellis – Part 1& Part 2 (in Greek) [VIDEO]
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

Poems on the Underground – Greek contemporary poetry

The Press Office of the Greek Embassy in Warsaw promotes the contemporary poetry of Greece and participates to   “Poems on the Underground” events (6-30 September 2010).
“Poems on the Underground” (Wiersze w Metrze) has been inspired by other similar projects  in many cities: Dublin, Paris, New York, Barcelona, Stockholm, Stuttgard and Moscow, organised for the first time in London in 1986.
Wiersze w Metrze promotes contemporary European poetry in public city spaces, through happenings, haiku competition, poetry city game and a performing poetry festival.
Many cultural institutes and embassies participate to the project, which takes place under the auspices of the the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.
Greek contemporary poetry will be represented by two acclaimed poets, Kiki Dimoula and Nasos Vagenas.
Kiki Dimoula has recently been awarded the European Literature Prize for 2010. Her poetry has been translated into English, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Spanish and many other languages.
Dimoula’s poetry is haunted by the existential dissolution of the post-world era. Her central themes are hopelessness, insecurity, absence and oblivion. Using diverse subjects and twisting grammar in unconventional ways, she accentuates the power of the words through astonishment and surprise, but always manages to retain a sense of hope.
Nasos Vagenas, professor of Theory and Critique of Literature in the Department of Theatre Studies of the University of Athens, in 2005 was awarded with the State Poetry Prize for his poetic collection ‘Stefanos’.
His poetic work includes the books: ‘Field of Mars’, ‘Biography’, ‘Roxani’s Knees’, ‘Wandering of a non-traveller’, ‘The Fall of the Flying’, ‘Barbarous Odes’ , ‘The Fall of the Flying B’, ‘Dark Ballads and Other Poems’, ‘Stefanos’.
His poetry has been translated into English, German, Italian, Dutch, Romanian, Serbian.
Two poems of Kiki Dimoula and Nasos Vagenas have been translated in polish language for “Wiersze w Metrze” by the professors and students of the Department of Greek Studies of the University of Warsaw (Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies “Artes Liberales”).

A farewell to philosopher Axelos

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Philosopher Kostas Axelos died on February 4, at the age of 85 in Paris where he had been living since 1945.

Axelos was born in Athens in 1924 and, at the end of 1945, with the help of then director of the French Institute in Athens Octave Merlier, he boarded the legendary ship Mataroa to Paris along with 200 other young Greeks who were thus saved from the ravages of the impending civil war.
He studied philosophy at the Sorbonne, and then taught there from 1962-1973. He was a columnist and later editor of the pioneering, at the time, magazine “Arguments” (1956-1962).
He also founded and, since 1960, directed, in tandem with “Arguments,” the philosophical series of the “Editions de Minuit,” which also published most of his own books.
Axelos wrote 24 books and a plethora of texts in French, Greek and German, which have been translated into 16 languages.
Axelos interview with Radical Philosophy (2005): Mondialisation without the world
Du côté de Desmos: www.desmos-grece.com  (in French)

Finance Minister Interview in “Der Spiegel”

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)      Greece has no current need for credit and the excessive pessimism of the financial markets is unjustified, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou told German weekly Der Spiegel, in an interview. He added that while Greek spreads had soared this week, they would narrow once again, when Greece had proven that it was doing all it could, to improve the country’s financial situation. “We are in a very serious fiscal situation, we have debts with a dangerous dynamic,” said the minister. “But we have a new government that clearly recognizes the problem. With our savings programme, we will reduce the deficit in the coming year by 3.6 percentage points.” Papaconstantinou further said that there was no reason for Greece to ask for help from the International Monetary Fund. Instead, it would solve its problems inside the European Union and according to the bloc’s rules. Greece would release a new bond at the beginning of January, he concluded.  On Friday, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said Greece would meet its debt obligations and planned to reduce its budget deficit to below 3 percent of GDP within four years, sending bond yields lower. Today, the premier is expected to announce the measures, his government plans to implement, following talks with representatives of labour unions and business groups. Foreign and Currency News: Greece has no urgent credit need – Greek Finmin

Greece: Commemorating the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Tear Down the Last Wall!

Two decades have elapsed since November 9, 1989, when the border separating Western from Eastern Germany was effectively opened.

Prime Minister George Papandreou attended the events, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, held yesterday in Berlin. The premier called for the last wall still dividing a European city, Nicosia, to be brought down and stressed that “as Greeks and Europeans, we can shout: Tear down the last wall, the one that divides Cyprus into two.” In Berlin, Papandreou held also a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during which they discussed issues of mutual interest. Kathimerini daily: PM sets sights on Cyprus wall

“Breaking Down Walls, Building Bridges”

In Greece, the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall was commemorated in a special event, titled “Breaking down walls, building bridges” on November 8 at the City of AthensTechnopolis.

The President of the Hellenic Republic, Karolos Papoulias, Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and the German Ambassador in Greece Wolfgang Schultheissaddressed the event, stressing the great importance of the fall of the Berlin wall, which has become the “symbol of freedom for all humanity.” The event organised under the auspices of the German Embassy in Athens. Droutsas also addressed the OSCE event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in Vienna on November 6.

Conference: The Image of Germany

Τhe Association of Greek Press Attachés and the German Embassy in Athens are holding, on November 12, a conference titled “The public image of Germany,” at the Amphitheatre of theTheocharakis Foundation.

The event is being held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany, the 20th anniversary since the fall of the Wall and 10th anniversary since the transfer of the country’s capital from Bonn to Berlin.
Experts from Germany and Greece will discuss how the image of Germany has changed over the years, from the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany, until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the restoration of the unity of the country [Programme, in Greek]. Government Spokesman George Petalotis will address the event. International Communication Policy Forum: “The Public Image of Germany“

Venice Film Festival: Greeks with “Heart”

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) “Soul Kitchen” is the title of a movie by Fatih Akin, a young German director of Turkish descent, who is best known for his previous film “The Edge of Heaven” (2007).

The latest movie “Soul Kitchen” recounts the story of two German brothers of Greek descent (the characters’ names are the Kazatzakis brothers) who try their best to make an honest living on the streets of Hamburg.  The leading role is the one of the two brothers (starring German-Greek actor Adam Basdoukos) who manages to overcome difficulties and eventually become a chef at his own restaurant.  “Soul Kitchen is principally a love letter to my city, Hamburg” says the 36-year old promising director who impressed both audience and critics with his film at the 66th Venice Film Festival. Whereas dealing with rough social issues such as the cultural and social struggle of classes, the movie brings a soft breeze of humorous sarcasm, adding to the movie’s broadly acknowledged taste.

Thessaloniki Book Fair

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)     Thessaloniki, a European city at the crossroads of the Balkans and the Mediterranean, has been home to an international book fair since 2004.  Five years on, the fair has become a regular fixture for the book trade and booklovers.  The 6th edition of the Thessaloniki Book Fair takes place in May 28 to 31 at Helexpo exhibition centre. It offers visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest releases of publishers from around the world.  History is the theme of the 2009 exhibition. Visitors will be able to look at an entire panorama of books related to history.  German publishing will be in the fair’s spotlight as this year, Germany is the guest of honour. 

The Cretan Lawrence

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Imogen Grundon, Patrick Leigh Fermor: The Rash Adventurer. A Life of John Pendlebury, Libri 2007  John Pendlebury (1904-41), the ‘Cretan Lawrence’, was shot in the first months of the German occupation of Crete while organising bands of guerrillas to fight the invaders. Not a professional soldier, Pendlebury was chosen for the task because of his intimate knowledge of Crete, its people and language which he had acquired through his years of archaeological experience on the island. As Curator at Knossos, successor to Sir Arthur Evans, his athleticism and taste for adventure took him all over the island in search of ancient sites. In this, the first biography of John Pendlebury, Imogen Grundon constructs a vivid picture of a brilliant and charismatic scholar-hero, whose life was lived, and ultimately lost, by an ideal of romantic chivalry.

News in Polish from the Greek Radio

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  Through its successful European course, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation” ERT – from a sending country of migrants in the 1960s – became a recipient country for workers from all corners of the globe. The radical changes in the country’s cultural and social map took place in a very short period of time and constituted a challenge for everyone. The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (www.ert.gr) offers news in 12 languages through its multilingual radio programme “FILIA” (“friendship” in Greek). The news is broadcast in Arabic, Russian, Romanian, Turkish, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, Albanian, German, Spanish, French, Polish, and English. FILIA Program (665 ΑΜ): Daily Programme Schedule; Saturday Programme Schedule; Sunday Programme Schedule

An Hippodrome Discovered in Olympia after 1600 Years

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   The site of an ancient hippodrome course in Olympia, where the emperor Nero competed for Olympian laurels, has been discovered. The hippodrome was discovered in Olympia by a research team that included Professor Norbert Müller, Dr Christian Wacker and Dr Reinhard Senff. “This discovery is an archaeological sensation,” commented Norbert Müller of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The research project extended over several weeks before its completion in mid-May 2008. Prior to this, the hippodrome had only been known from written sources. Archaeologists had failed to locate its actual site, which is surprising, as German archaeologists have been continuously excavating the site of where the ancient Olympiad was held since 1875.      Science Daily: Horse Racecourse In Ancient Olympia Discovered After 1600 Years (21.07.2008); Ministry of Culture: Olympia-The Hippodrome

Europe: On the Air

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The European Commission announced in Brussels on Tuesday that beginning in April 2008, a consortium of 16 radio stations from 13 EU countries will co-produce and simultaneously disseminate programmes dedicated to news and society in Europe’s 27 countries on a daily basis. The network programmes will include news, interviews, discussions, and will initially be broadcastingt in 10 languages (Greek, German, English, Bulgarian, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese and Romanian), while later on, they will gradually be broadcast in the 23 languages of the EU. Representing Greece initially in the consortium is Skai Radio (www.skai.gr, in Greek).