The Students, Faculty & Staff of Alpine Center, the Swiss Hospitality & Tourism Management Department

@ City Unity College, Glyfada, GreeceHeartily welcome Students & Faculty of

A Presentation on the Hospitality & Tourism Industry in GREECE

by Anastasios Mexas (Call me Tassos)

HotelierPresident of Alpine’s Alumni Ambassadors Association

Hospitality & Tourism Industry in Greece

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A40iNV_e7DU

Vital Statistics

Vital StatisticsPopulation: approximately 11 million citizens

Capital: Athens, with a metropolitan population of approximately 4 million

Land Size: 131,990 square kilometers

Government: Parliamentary Republic. The president is the ceremonial head of the state, but the prime minister is the head of government

Religion: 97 percent Greek Orthodox (Muslim, Roman Catholics and Jewish minorities)

Currency: Euro (previously Drachmas)

The Greek Flag• The Greek flag has its current form since 1822.

• The blue color represents the Greek sky and sea.

• There are many versions about what the white color stands for: 1 – the foam of the waves, 2 – the snow on the mountaintops, 3 – the purity of the fighters of 1821.

• It consists of 9 stripes, as many as the syllables of the motto of the Greek Independence struggle "Freedom or Death“.

• The cross stands for Christianity and states the deep-rooted connection between the country and Christianity.

Relationships Interpersonal relationships are very important in Greece.

Family is the most important institution in

Greece and no one ever dishonors it.

The parents care and provide for their children.

Elders are greatly respected in the Greek society

and the children usually take care of their elderly parents.

Friendships are highly valued.

Decision making takes into consideration the well-being of the family and friends.

Parental support (financial & emotional) does not stop when the child becomes an adult.

Meetings and Greetings

The formal greeting is a handshake and it is expected that you shake hands with everybody present

Among friends hugging and kissing are more usual forms of greeting.

Upon departure you are expected to greet again or at least inform the others about it.

Meetings and Greetings.....

Among friends and politicians hugging and kissing are more usual forms of greeting.

Last names are the formal way to call somebody, accompanied by the proper titles unless you are invited to call him/her in a different way.

Among friends, or even close acquaintances, first names are the most common form of addressing someone.

Greeks will add the title of “Kyrios” (Mr.), “Kyria” (Mrs.) and “Despinis” (Miss) as a sign of respect either to the first or to the last name.

If you do not know a person’s name it is normal to use “Kyrios” or “Kyria” to address him/her.

Greeks are proud to carry professional titles (doctors, lawyers, professors).

Names and Titles

Language and Education

Greek is the official language and it is written in the Greek alphabet.

There is a great variety of dialects spoken all over Greece.

Greek students are taught ancient Greek, Latin, English and they are able to choose French or German as a second language.

Greeks are flattered when a foreigner learns or tries to speak their language.

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Body Language

Body LanguageGreeks, as most of the Mediterranean's

are very expressive, have no concept of “personal space” and are physically demonstrative.

Interpersonal communication includes a lot of facial expressions and movements of the body.

Waving your hand with your palm outwards and your fingers spread is an obscene gesture.

Concept of Time

Greece has a flexible-time culture.

Punctuality is not extremely important.

The duration of an event cannot be defined before it starts.

Social events always begin later than the appointed time.

Scheduled meetings are kept in formal situations.

Habits and Manners• Drinking coffee is a daily and revered habit.

Habits and Manners• Drinking coffee is a daily and revered habit.

Habits and Manners

• Going out for a meal can be a social event and it is strange to see someone eating alone.

• When you are invited to a place always bring a gift with you. Flowers or sweets are the best choices.

Greeks love to entertain themselves as often as possible!!!

Helpful Hints “Do’s”• Show appreciation and respect to Greek culture and history.• Interpersonal relationships are very important.• Try to speak at least a little bit of Greek.• Always accept food and drink when it is being offered to you.• When you are invited to someone’s home always bring gifts to the

hosts.• Maintain eye contact while speaking. • Take into consideration the issues of traffic and parking in most of

the cities. • Be prepared for smoking in all locations.

Get an approximation of the fare before you get into a cab.

Do whatever a host insists upon several times (eat more, stay longer)

Compliment the food, home and the children of your hosts.

Helpful Hints “Do’s”

It is greatly appreciated if you try to show interest and join Greek dances.

Expect Greeks to ask personal questions (e.g. “Are you married?”, “Do you have children?”)

“Dont’s”Greeks love to complain about the various problems of the

country, but they do not like to listen to any criticism by a foreigner.

Do not expect to do business during the months of July, August, the national days and local holidays.

Do not be overly punctual for social gatherings (15-30 min. of delay is accepted).

Do not call FYROM or “Democracy of Macedonia” just Macedonia.

Do not stay in lines without pushing or shoving (or you will never get anywhere).

Do not forget to be careful and watch your purse while being on a crowded bus.

(For women): Do not wear pants or shorts when visiting a monastery.

While doing business do not use first names until you are invited to do so.

“Dont’s”

Useful Words

Good morning Kalimera

Good evening KalisperaGood night

KalinihtaHello/Goodbye YassasPlease/You are welcome ParakaloThank you

EfharistoYes NeNo OhiExcuse me/Sorry Signomi

Pleased to meet you Hero poliHow are you Ti kanis?My name is ... Me lene …What’s your name Pos se lene?Cheers! YamasHow much does it cost? Poso kani?Good luck Kali

epitihia

Useful Words

Vacations In Greece, you are standing at a crossroads of

cultures, colours and civilisations, you feel the strength of history.

A country that despite being rich in history has a population that moves towards the future.

Walk through the olive groves. Move to clusters of sparsely inhabited islands. Roam from the beaches to rocky mountains and explore breathtaking scenery.

Explore your senses in Greece.

VacationsExplore your senses in Greece.

Attractions

Greece has an abundance of resources that tourists with ecological and cultural interests will find attractive. These resources are marked by their wide variety,

rareness and distinctiveness and are found in areas many of which have already been placed under special

protection.  

AccommodationsHotels (ordinary hotels, traditional guesthouses)

Rooms to let

Apartments to let

Self-catering units (tourist residences and villas)

Campsites

Youth hostels

EventsGreece is a country with a vast wealth of cultural tradition and folklore. Visitors have many opportunities to enrich their travels by attending the various cultural or sports events.

Transportation

Road connections

Sea travel

Air connections

Car and motorbike rental

Railway Network

Greece 's transportation cover in total mainland and islands

Tourism in GreeceArchaeological tourism

Ecotourism

Geotourism

Cultural tourism

Congress tourism

Therapeutic tourism

Adventure tourism

Culinary Tourism

Archaeological Tourism The cradle of European Civilization

Boasting a history stretching back almost 4,000 years, Greece is the Land of History, which offers a unique opportunity for a historical adventure through the centuries, a chance to mentally relive myth, history and culture, from classical times to our day.

EcotourismDespite its relatively small area,

Greece has an exceptionally rich

nature; it presents a wide spectrum

of natural beauty & unusual animal

life with 10 National Parks & other

protected areas like:Aesthetic ForestsProtected Monuments of Nature Game Reserves and Hunting Reserves Marine Parks

Culinary Tourism

Culinary Tourism

GeotourismCaves Gorges WaterfallsVolcanoesPetrified Forestfossilized areas

Cultural Tourism

Landscape painting Raku pottery Icon painting Photography Mosaic makingMarble sculpting Jewelry making Script writingYoga

Available courses during holidays for people of all ages and backgrounds

Congress TourismThe concept of the congresses was born in Ancient Greece with the Delphic Ampyctionies. Nowadays, Greece aims the establishment of large conference and exhibition centers, as well as numerous luxurious hotel units featuring conferencefacilities staffed with experienced professionals.

Therapeutic TourismGreece has innumerable natural thermal

springs.NATURAL SPRINGS are the thermal, hypo-thermal and cool waters

containing active ingredients indicated for the cure ofvarious illnesses.

Adventure Tourism

Trekking Rock Climbing Horseback Riding

4 Season Activities all over the country

Adventure Tourism Cycling Rafting – Kayaking Wind Surfing

Skiing Diving Jeep Safari

Greek IslandsCorfu Mouse Island

Greek IslandsKoufonisia Island

Greek IslandsKastelorizo

Greek IslandsPaxoi Island

Zakynthos Famous “navagio” beach

Greek Islands

Greek IslandsSantorini Island

Greek IslandsMykonos Island - Little Venice

Greek IslandsLefkada - Myrtos Beach

Santorini – Kaldera world famous sunset

Greek Islands

Chalkidiki - Armenistis Beach

Greek Islands

Greek wine

Greek Wine - Tsantalis

In 1945 Evangelos Tsantalis established the TSANTALI Wine company in Thessaloniki.

Awards received:

GOLD FOR THE AGIORITIKO ABATON

GOLD MEDAL FOR TSANTALI AT BORDEAUX

RAPSANI EPILEGMENOS, ENCHANTS THE WORLD’S BEST SOMMELIERS

Greek Wine - Boutari

In 1879 Boutaris & Son SA company founded by Ioannis Boutaris in Naousa

Boutari AwardsVINALIES INTERNATIONALES 2005

SILVER MEDAL

5th INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION MARCH 2005 GOLD MEDAL

CHARDONNAY DU MONDE 2005 SILVER MEDAL

CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL DU VIN 2005 SILVER MEDAL

DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS 2005

BRONZE MEDAL

LOS ANGELES COUNTRY FAIR WINES OF THE WORLD COMPETITION 2003 GOLD MEDAL

OUZOOuzo starts by distilling 96% ABV

pure ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin, in copper stills together with anise and optionally other flavourings (sugar can be added).

This well known aperitif, according to the European Union Law in1989 has been accepted and established as a Greek product. Greece is the only country that has the right to produce it.

Original Greek beverage

Tsipouro

Tsipouro (Τσίπουρο) is a distilled alcoholic beverage from Greece, where the same spirit with a stronger aroma is known as tsikoudia. Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing percent alcohol by volume and is produced from the pomace (the residue of the wine press).

It is usually served in shot glasses, very cold.

In 2006, Greece filed a request to recognise tsipouro as a PDO (Protected designation of origin) product.

Olive Oil

• Greece devotes around 60% of its cultivated land to exclusively growing olives.

• Greece is the third largest exporter of olive oil, and one of the biggest consumers of it.

• Olive oil is a huge part of Greek cooking and culture. It is used to dress pans before cooking and poured over Greek salads and cheeses to eat

• Most Greeks get a majority of their daily fat from this healthy source.

MASTIHA• Mastiha starts as a semi-transparent sap from

lentisk trees (actually evergreen bushes) found only in certain areas of the Greek island of Chios.

• The root word of “mastiha” is “masticate,” meaning to chew and it was the first chewing gum.

• Mastiha is used as a spice in sweets and cooking, as a flavoring for liqueurs, and in soap-making, cosmetics, and toothpaste, among others. Recent evidence of its positive effect on ulcers has resulted in a boom in purchases by large pharmaceutical companies.

Greek yoghurt

FAGE yoghurtFAGE is the company which in 1975 created TOTAL, the first strained, branded, and packaged yoghurt that changed the yoghurt market in Greece.

It is the “ambassador” of the Greek dairy industry

abroad and is no. 1 in size of sales of all the

exported dairy products.

Greek peachThe peach is

summer, cool, juiced and unprecedented.

The peach tree is considered "the Tree of Life of Land Paradise", that provides in the persons life and joy.

And not to forget, the famous Greek Salad!

Any questions

Thank You, and do visit Greece again!

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