1980

About us

Imagining Greece: How Tourism Shaped a Nation
Imagining Greece is a digital exhibition that explores the evolution of tourism in Greece from the end of World War II to the closing chapters of the Cold War. The exhibition examines multiple aspects of the phenomenon by showcasing a wealth of textual and visual material curated from a wide range of state and private archival repositories and sources, including the Greek National Tourism Organisation, architectural firms, advertising agencies and both domestic and foreign press and periodicals. It is further enriched by an ongoing oral history project that captures firsthand experiences from specialists and the general public. We hope this exhibition will bring the history of tourism in Greece to life while deepening understanding of its profound impact—both on Greek society itself and on the millions of international visitors whose journeys have helped transform Greece into one of the world's most beloved destinations.

Our Team
We are an interdisciplinary team with expertise spanning history, visual culture, design studies, architectural history, cultural heritage, and digital humanities. Led by Professor Eirini Karamouzi (Principal Investigator) and Dr Mary Ikoniadou (Co-Investigator), our team includes:

Dr Stavros Alifragkis and Dr Emilia Athanasiou (Scientific and Artistic Curators, Lead Researchers), Dr Christos Christidis (Special Advisor), Despina Tsilimagkou (Digital Humanities Director), Dr Marina Emmanouil, Dr Metaxia Papageorgiou and Dr Aphrodite Kamara (Researchers). Our work has been generously supported by the Onassis Foundation, the National Bank of Greece and Research England. We are honoured to have the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and the Greek Ministry of Tourism as our patrons, and we work closely with Greece’s National Historical Museum.

Our Goal
Our goal is to make Imagining Greece a widely accessible digital exhibition that serves as a valuable resource for schools, universities, tourism professionals, and the public in Greece and beyond. We aim to promote a deeper understanding of tourism as a crucial element of Greek culture, economy, politics, and society. The exhibition is organised around four thematic experiences: Picture, Travel, Discover, and Remember. Each theme presents carefully chosen artefacts in an intuitive, easy-to-explore journey. Visitors will explore a rich collection of promotional materials, including advertising, audio-visual culture, periodicals, commercial and government sources, tourist guides, tourism infrastructure and architecture, cultural artefacts from folklore, feasts and festivals, leisure activities, books about Greece, souvenirs, vacation photographs, and postcards. The entire spectrum of Greece as a tourism destination is accessible through the thematic experiences, the interactive map, or the chronological timeline.

The Future of Imagining Greece
Imagining Greece will continue to grow with new artefacts, and we welcome your contributions. If you have relevant materials to share, please contact us at: info@imagininggreece.com

Legal Notice / Disclaimer
Every reasonable effort has been made to trace and contact the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this digital exhibition, ‘Imagining Greece: How Tourism Shaped a Nation, 1945-1989’, and to obtain their permission for the use of copyrighted material. We apologise for any omissions in acknowledging copyright. If you own the copyright for any material used on our website and believe it infringes upon your rights, please contact us directly at info@imagininggreece.com. Please note that all images and materials remain the property of their respective copyright holders, and may not be reproduced, distributed, or otherwise used without their prior permission.

Acknowledgements
We thank the numerous institutions and private individuals who have contributed their valuable archival materials to this project:

Benaki Museum’s Photographic Archives Department, Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, Greek Film Archive, Greek National Tourism Organisation, Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive, Hellenic National AudioVisual Archive - Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, Hellenic Touring Club, Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece – National Historical Museum, Historical Archive of the National Bank of Greece, Constantinos A. Doxiadis Archives, ‘Konstantinos G. Karamanlis’ Foundation, The Library of the Hellenic Parliament, Modern Greek Architecture Archives of the Benaki Museum, National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation, Neraida Floating Museum - John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, Olympic Airways Workers Cultural Center, Philatelic Postal Museum, Spyros Vassiliou Archive - Dominum Artifex NPO, The Alpha Bank Art Collection, The Ghika Gallery - Benaki Museum.

Dimitris Antonakakis – Atelier 66, Archimidis & Eleni Athanassiou, Tasos Biris – Tassos Biris Architectural Firm, Vassilis Bogakos, Vassilis Giannakis, Panos Haratzopoulos, Erifyli Hontolidou, Maro Kardamitsi-Adami, Yannis Karlopoulos, Kostas Katsigiannis, Konstantinos Lyssaridis – ETETH SA, Eirini Philippides, Marina Philippides – AMK Architecture + Design, Jenny Perivolari, Christos Rallis & Georgia Sovatzoglou, Vassia Stylianidi – WOBI Architects, Vaggelis Stylianidis - Stylianidis Vaggelis Architects, Nicos Valsamakis – N. Valsamakis Architectural Firm, Ioannis Vikelas – Vikelas Architects.

1980

1989

Kythnos Xenia Spa Hotel artifact — Kythnos Xenia Spa Hotel

Armenistis Car-Camp in Sithonia artifact — Armenistis Car-Camp in Sithonia

The Venerated Relics of Agios Spyridon in Corfu artifact — The Venerated Relics of Agios Spyridon in Corfu

The Procession of the Venerated Relics of Agios Spyridon in Corfu artifact — The Procession of the Venerated Relics of Agios Spyridon in Corfu

Souvenir of Platamon artifact — Souvenir of Platamon

Platamon Castle in Pieria artifact — Platamon Castle in Pieria

Greece Dodecanese 1980 artifact — Greece Dodecanese 1980

The Crucifixion 9th & 13th c. artifact — The Crucifixion 9th & 13th c.

Head of Volomandra Kouros artifact — Head of Volomandra Kouros

Head of the Piraeus Athena artifact — Head of the Piraeus Athena

The Varvakeion Athena artifact — The Varvakeion Athena

Olympic Airways Menu artifact — Olympic Airways Menu

Sailing in the Saronic Gulf artifact — Sailing in the Saronic Gulf

Akronafplia Xenia Hotel in the 1980s artifact — Akronafplia Xenia Hotel in the 1980s

Silva Maris Hotel Hersonissos artifact — Silva Maris Hotel Hersonissos

Tourism in Greece in the 1980s artifact — Tourism in Greece in the 1980s

Olympic Airways 1980 - Airbus A300 artifact — Olympic Airways 1980 - Airbus A300

Xenia Hotel in Drama artifact — Xenia Hotel in Drama

Igoumenitsa Xenia Motel artifact — Igoumenitsa Xenia Motel

Komotini Xenia Hotel artifact — Komotini Xenia Hotel

Mykonos Xenia Hotel artifact — Mykonos Xenia Hotel

Mikrolimano Bay at Piraeus artifact — Mikrolimano Bay at Piraeus

1981

Kellaria Ski Centre on Mount Parnassus 1981 artifact — Kellaria Ski Centre on Mount Parnassus 1981

Smiley gold death Mycenaen mask artifact — Smiley gold death Mycenaen mask

The Youth of Antikythera artifact — The Youth of Antikythera

Olympic Airways celebrates Greece's entrance into EEC artifact — Olympic Airways celebrates Greece's entrance into EEC

Delphi in Arabic artifact — Delphi in Arabic

Banknote Museum of the Ionian Bank artifact — Banknote Museum of the Ionian Bank

Exquisite mosaics from Delos artifact — Exquisite mosaics from Delos

Zea Bay at Piraeus artifact — Zea Bay at Piraeus

1982

Temple of Apollo at Bassae artifact — Temple of Apollo at Bassae

1983

Greek Festivals 1981 artifact — Greek Festivals 1981

The Antikythera Ephebe artifact — The Antikythera Ephebe

Amalia Hotel Nafplio artifact — Amalia Hotel Nafplio

Olympic Airways 1983 - A more civilised way to fly artifact — Olympic Airways 1983 - A more civilised way to fly

Myrtos Beach Kefalonia artifact — Myrtos Beach Kefalonia

1984

Social Welfare Holidays Program 1983-84 artifact — Social Welfare Holidays Program 1983-84

Olympia in Japanese artifact — Olympia in Japanese

Sunset at Zakynthos artifact — Sunset at Zakynthos

The Civilized Way to See Greece in 1984. artifact — The Civilized Way to See Greece in 1984.

1985

Greece Patras and Western Peloponnese artifact — Greece Patras and Western Peloponnese

Brochure

Creta Maris Hotel Hersonissos artifact — Creta Maris Hotel Hersonissos

The Throne Room from Knossos Palace artifact — The Throne Room from Knossos Palace

Queen's Megaron Knossos Palace artifact — Queen's Megaron Knossos Palace

Head of Hermes of Olympia artifact — Head of Hermes of Olympia

Minoan Snake Godesses figurines artifact — Minoan Snake Godesses figurines

Harvester Vase from Agia Triada, Minoan Crete artifact — Harvester Vase from Agia Triada, Minoan Crete

1986

Going home… to Greece artifact — Going home… to Greece

Travelling to Olympia in the 1980s artifact — Travelling to Olympia in the 1980s

Tourist Life 1986-1990 artifact — Tourist Life 1986-1990

Masters of solitude on unknown beaches artifact — Masters of solitude on unknown beaches

Article

Corinthia Argolis 1986 artifact — Corinthia Argolis 1986

1987

Thermal Hotel Asklepios in Platystomo artifact — Thermal Hotel Asklepios in Platystomo

Hand-woven textile from Crete artifact — Hand-woven textile from Crete

The Prince of the Lilies fresco at Knossos Palace artifact — The Prince of the Lilies fresco at Knossos Palace

Minoan rock-crystal rhyton from Zakros artifact — Minoan rock-crystal rhyton from Zakros

La Parisienne, or the Minoan Lady, artifact — La Parisienne, or the Minoan Lady,

1988

A saddler's workshop in Milies Pelion artifact — A saddler's workshop in Milies Pelion

Spreading trahanas out to dry in Milies, Pelion artifact — Spreading trahanas out to dry in Milies, Pelion

Hotel Olympia, Finikas, Syros artifact — Hotel Olympia, Finikas, Syros

Philoxenia and Tourism Review 1988-89 artifact — Philoxenia and Tourism Review 1988-89

The taller Minoan Snake Godess figurine artifact — The taller Minoan Snake Godess figurine

1989

Apollonia Spa Town artifact — Apollonia Spa Town

Hellenic Mediterranean Lines Greece-Italy Ferry Connection artifact — Hellenic Mediterranean Lines Greece-Italy Ferry Connection

Print Ad

Eurotrain advertisement artifact — Eurotrain advertisement

Print Ad

Bus lines of OSE artifact — Bus lines of OSE

Print Ad

If work gets you down don't change your job, change your holiday artifact — If work gets you down don't change your job, change your holiday

1991

Exarchakos Family Tower in Vathia, Mani artifact — Exarchakos Family Tower in Vathia, Mani

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