How does one support Greek tourism, at a time when travel is impossible? Well, if tourists can’t come to Greece, Greece will come to them.

The Greek Tourism Ministry, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and Marketing Greece have launched a new “Greece from Home” platform in order to continue to promote the country and its culture, while supporting global social distancing efforts.

The initiative, which is part of the government’s strategic response to the coronavirus crisis, offers new and varied ways to explore Greece and all its facets from the comfort and safety of home. It was conceived in line with the #menoumespiti (#westayhome) campaign.

Beyond giving prospective visitors new ways to explore the country from afar, the campaign also aims to help improve services, laying the groundwork for a quick rebound once the danger from the virus has passed.

“As far as the tourism industry is concerned, we are keeping in touch with our audience with the key message ‘from home, through our home’… that is, our country and everything Greece embodies in ideas, values and experiences, “ said Minister of Tourism Haris Theocharis.

The platform’s website is split in three categories, Watch, Visit and Learn, which correspond to the three aims behind the program: promoting Greece and its culture, promoting Greece as a tourist destination and helping professionals to better their digital skills, especially those working in the tourism industry.

Watch

The Watch button takes you to the official YouTube channel of Visit Greece, where you can watch original videos created by well-known Greek personalities with different areas of expertise, as well as a curated range of videos sourced from different channels. Tennis champion and social media star Stefanos Tsitsipas has already filmed one video for the channel (above) announcing his participation in the initiative.

Other original videos include an at-home performance by the National Greek Opera and a wine tasting in the kitchen of a top professional.

The regularly updated channel will feature a wealth of content covering a broad range of topics: Greek-inspired music, gastronomy, theater, dance, sports and fashion as well as videos of destinations and experiences from all over Greece

Visit

Clicking on the Visit button directs you to the Discover Greece website, and their Experiences page, where you can “digitally visit” the most impressive places in the country through beautiful photography, and get tips on where to visit, what to eat and what activities to plan for future visits to the country.

Learn

Finally, the Learn button leads to the Google Digital Garage platform which offers online courses in business, marketing, advertisement, and even programming and coding. 

These are aimed primarily at professionals of the tourism industry, but are open to anyone who wishes to benefit from them. The platform is also organizing live training webinars to which you can subscribe free of charge. 

The initiative may be born from the coronavirus pandemic but will hopefully leave a lasting legacy. The connections, experiences and knowledge shared through the initiative will remain, bringing people from the four corners of the planet ever closer to Greece.