By the early 20th century, around 1915, American Express Bank had established a global travel and financial business, opening a network of travel offices in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. In the mid-1950s, American Express Travel Service promoted its ability to handle the complexities of modern travel, by taking care of every detail and allowing American travellers to enjoy their holidays without concern. It also advertised Travellers Cheques as the most convenient way to carry money abroad, outside the USA, offering immediate compensation in the event of loss or theft. Additionally, Americans travelling abroad had access to uniformed interpreters at international airports around the world.

In 1958, Ralph Thomas Reed (1890-1968), President of American Express from 1944 to 1960, introduced the American Express charge card, marking the beginning of a new era of payment products for American travellers abroad. In 1953, a year after the end of the Marshall Plan and in the context of widespread pro-Americanism on the part of the Greek state, King Paul (1901-1964) invited Ralph Thomas Reed (1890-1968), President of American Express from 1944 to 1960, to Tatoi to knight him with the Order of King George I. Reed, originally scheduled for a 15-minute appointment, ended up spending an hour discussing travel and tourism with the King.

Dimitris Papaefstratiou served as the director of American Express branch in Greece, playing a key role in the development of Greek tourism during the first post-war decades. He was a founding member and, for many years, president of the Hellenic Touring Club, as well as a distinguished member of the Greek National Tourism Organisation Board and, for a brief period, its Secretary General.