| Greek National Tourism Organization |
|
|---|---|
| Εθνικός Οργανισμός Τουρισμού | |
| The organization's new logo. | |
| overview | |
| Formed | 1927, re-established in 1950 |
| Jurisdiction | Ministry for Culture and Tourism |
| Headquarters | 7 Tsoha Street 11521 Athens Greece |
| executives | Nikolaos Kanellopoulos, President George Koletsos, General Secretary |
| Website | |
| www.visitgreece.gr | |
The Greek National Tourism Organization (Greek: Εθνικός Οργανισμός Τουρισμού, Ethnikos Organismos Tourismou), often appreviated as GNTO (Greek: EOT) is the governmental department for the promotion tourism in the country of Greece. It functions under the supervision of the Hellenic Republic Ministry for Culture and Tourism.
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The Greek National Tourism Organization was founded in 1927 with the aim of promoting tourism in Greece.[1] For a time period after its establishment the organization was taken over by various ministries, until it was re-founded in the year 1950.[1] The agency has been the driving force behind the rise in the number of tourists visiting Greece since the 1950s and continues to expand the country's reputation as a tourist destination though its advertising campaigns. Currently, the agency is the single largest tourism promotion agency in the country, and has 27 offices in 21 countries, on 4 continents.[2]
Since 2005, the organization has been subdivided into Regional Departments of Tourism.[1]
Every year the organization chooses a different theme and motto for its advertising campaigns. Over the years, various successful advertising campaigns have been funded by the organization, including the very successful "Live your myth in Greece" campaign. The 2010 campaign's motto was "You in Greece" and "xx in Greece",[3] and mainly focused on the many opportunities the country provides for tourists, with a variety of different destinations and activities. "You in Athens" and "You in Thessaloniki" were also used to promote the country's two largest cities and centers of culture and entertainment.[4] The latest advertising campaign has also published a variety of promotional TV spots in line with the "You in Greece" poster campaign that have been translated to various languages, including Chinese, Bulgarian and German.[5]
Previous campaign slogans include:
Currently the GNTO operates offices in the following countries with the aim of promoting tourism in Greece:[2]