Merging Culture and Tourism in Greece: An Unholy Alliance or an Opportunity to Update the Country's Cultural Policy?

Abstract

In 2009, the socialist government of Greece (PASOK) joined for the first time the portfolios of culture and tourism, establishing the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The discourse supporting and contesting the merger, as well as the merger's implications, are explored from a cultural policy perspective, through an analysis of the statements and policies issued by the government on the issue during its first year in office. The challenges created by the merger concern policymakers internationally, as they echo increasing tensions between socio-cultural and financial objectives as a result of worldwide convergence of cultural and economic spheres.