Abstract
All Mediterranean countries adopted and implemented more or less the same model of tourism development based on 4Ss (Sun, Sea, Sand and Sex). The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the experience of developing leisure tourism in Greece in order to draw some useful lessons for other countries and tourism destinations. To address the research aim this paper adopts the approach of strategic analysis. This approach illustrates the importance of tourism as an economic activity and analyses the current situation and structural problems of Greece as a destination. Although Greece has a wonderful range of natural, cultural and heritage resources, the lack of differentiation of the tourism offering as well as competitive disadvantages in the fields of governance, planning and marketing caused an over-dependence on tour operators for the promotion and distribution of its tourism offering. The same factors compromised the quality of tourism services having involved a vicious circle. This situation has a negative impact on the sustainability and competitiveness of the destination and tourism industry. Therefore, the paper assesses the Greek experience with the aim to identify the crucial issues and challenges. This evaluation permits to take some lessons from the Greek experience, beneficial to other destinations willing to develop tourism, and to formulate some recommendations. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n1s1p319
Highlights
The purpose of this article is twofold: (i) to evaluate the Greek experience in developing 4Ss tourism, and (ii) to identify and highlight the crucial issues and related challenges
The section deals with the strategic situation analysis of Greek tourism by analysing the two main components of tourism industry, presenting the performance of Greece over the last years according to the travel and tourism competitiveness index (TTCI), and performing a strengths-weaknessesopportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis to demonstrate its competitive position
The fierce competition in the global tourism arena, the mass tourism orientation of the industry, the changes in tourists’ behaviour, the increase of the volume of inbound tourism, the dependence upon tour operators for the tourism offering distribution in the major demand markets, the lack of adequate managerial skills by Greek tourism entrepreneurs, and the lack of a development plan by the public sector has led the competitiveness of Greece tourism to decline
Summary
The purpose of this article is twofold: (i) to evaluate the Greek experience in developing 4Ss tourism, and (ii) to identify and highlight the crucial issues and related challenges. This evaluation permits to take some lessons beneficial to other destinations willing to develop tourism. The section deals with the strategic situation analysis of Greek tourism by analysing the two main components of tourism industry, presenting the performance of Greece over the last years according to the travel and tourism competitiveness index (TTCI), and performing a strengths-weaknessesopportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis to demonstrate its competitive position. The article is completed by discussing the lessons from the Greek experience and formulating recommendations for destination planners and managers
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