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An economic analysis of foreign tourism to Greece. An examination of the growth and structure of foreign tourism to Greece 1960-84 with a planning model and marketing policy recommendations.

Tourism - in particular its determinants and effects - is an issue presently attracting
much attention worldwide.
International tourism is considered to be the largest single item of the world's
foreign trade and for some countries it is the most important export industry and
earner of foreign exchange. In addition to its economic significance, tourism
contributes to the quality of life. It produces intangible benefits which are directly
related to the physical and psychological health of people, and the enjoyment of the
right to rest and free time. This applies with equal validity to both domestic and
international tourism; the latter establishing international economic, political and
socio-cultural links, as well as strengthening the domestic character of a nation. At
the individual level, tourism satisfies the need to travel in search for relief from the
stress of work and the routine of daily life in the big urban centres. At macro
(country) level, tourism is, therefore, a human and economic activity which concerns
most of us in many parts of the world, directly or indirectly.
One country for which foreign tourism is of considerable importance is Greece.
In order to identify likely supply constraints (e. g. tourist accommodation and basic
infrastructure) and to establish the major market segments of Greek tourism, the
growth and structure of foreign tourism in Greece between 1960 and 1984 is
examined. Special attention is given to the magnitude of tourism in Greece and its
economic effects on the national economy. The non-economic effects of tourism
are also considered. This is followed by the construction of a tourist profile so that
the types of foreign visitors that go to Greece are identified. Subsequently, an
econometric model is developed and empirical results provided to explain foreign
tourist arrivals in Greece and to assess the impact of promotional expenditure by
the Greek National Tourist Organisation in a number of foreign tourist generating
markets. Finally, a tourism marketing planning model is devised which highlights
the main variables affecting the international tourism marketing policies of the
Greek National Tourist Organisation and, in particular, empirical results are used in
conjunction with- a tourism market choice matrix for selecting market targeting
strategies.
The major conclusion emerging from the research is that as the tourist industry in
Greece is of vital importance, the adoption of a strategic, interdisciplinary and
integrated tourism planning process along with the establishment of a tactically
orientated task unit could provide important improvements in the effectiveness and
contribution of tourism in Greece.
A few proposals regarding future policies by the Greek authorities are made, such as
the establishment of a co-ordinating body orchestrating the efforts of the
appropriate groups relevant to the multifaceted nature of tourism. / Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/4984
Date January 1985
CreatorsPapadopoulos, Socrates l.
ContributorsBuckley, Peter J., Mirza, Hafiz R., Witt, S.F.
PublisherUniversity of Bradford, Postgraduate School of Studies in Management and Administration
Source SetsBradford Scholars
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, doctoral, PhD
Rights<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>.

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