As I wrote in my post of 14 April, I had a nice, free of business break in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Ten days away from the craziness of Istanbul. Spent some time with friends in Thessaloniki and drove from there to Glyfada, Athens; a suburb with many water sport accommodations of the Summer Olympics 2004.
Exactly there on the beach was my hotel: nice sunrise and sunset every day. Weather was great: 21 - 23 degrees.
The road from Salonika to Athens is beautiful, only an area of 50 km, where the EU sponsored project of 600 million Euros, reconstructing the road, leaves the driver stuck in massive traffic jams. But the view, when you are waiting and waiting, is spectacular. Not the Amalfi coast but there is a lot to see and watch.
And yes, the Greeks know how to put their country on the agenda. Turkey is still doing bad regarding PR and advertisement. The last attempt was almost copy paste of the Greek commercial. The only difference: the Greek commercial is still running and the Turkish one is out the air, for 2 months now. Turkey gets enough attention I guess, so why bother about some good promos? The answer 'lies' in the mouth of the Turkish bureaucrats...
10 comments:
That is true, but the latest Ad campaign for Tourism Greece featuring stereotype images of people around the world (smiling English Bobby, Asian in Kimono etc) reminded me of Ceausescu advertising
The best P.R. for Turkey comes from Americans who travel to Turkey and return to America singing its praises. Two people from my job went to Turkey and told EVERYBODY we work with how much they loved it and how they plan on returning.
Besides, America lives in a bubble. Turkey's image is a-okay in the U.S.
Vassili, but at least Greece is promoting itself
AY: the same goes up for travellers from Europe. And the public opinion in the UK about Turkey is also good.
Only countries which have a lot of immigrants from Turkey, have problems.
Beside a public opinion there is also a general opinion: how the media and the governments think about a country.
Last year, it was Greeks who complained Turkey's ad campaign was much more professional than Greece's.
I suspect some of the negative publicity in the countries with high numbers of Turkish immigrants is about to put Turks under pressure: "Well, your country is so bad that nobody would want to live there. Hence, keep your mouth shut."
For example, AFP's news nears hilarious.
Dear Murat,
The last years the Greeks complained about the fact that the Turkish tourism industry was more competetive than the Greek one.
In fact, Turkey didnt promote itself. But Turkey was a 'cheap destination'. Now, since Turkey is back in the international area because all its political struggles and next to that a neglected PR campaign, the Greeks and Italians are benefiting of this. Turkey needs long term strategy to improve its name, clture and heritage.
I agree, Turkey needs a long term strategy to improve its name, to promote itself. But we also know that it is not solely up to Turkey to change its image. As long as the 'Western' world chooses to see the East from its 'orientalist' eyes, whatever Turkey does will be interpreted as the works of the 'Orient'.
yes, Turkey has a serious image problem and needs to take big steps on the way to 'modernisation'. but i don't like it when people disregard that Europe also has its share in the negative image of the East.
For example:
the article 301 is used to indicate that there is no freedom of speech in Turkey today. However, when France forbids discussing the Armenian genocide, this is not interpreted as an attack on the freedom of speech.
Turkey already has a position in the eyes of the West. And whatever she says and does will be read from this position. There is an article such as 301 in Turkey because Turkey does not respect the freedom of speech. France, on the other hand, might have forbidden the denial of the Armenian genocide but restricting the 'right to say' still remains as a practice peculias to the East.
I am sorry for writing such long comments, but i also urgently need to comment on Murat's comments :)
Yes Murat, high numbers of Turkish immigrants puts Turks under pressure. And Turkey still does not ask to those host countries: how do you expect them to integrate when you lock them up in the ghettos?
you can integrate, only when you feel that you can be a part of that culture. and this does not happen when you are living in ghettos, being away from the 'civilised world'!
regards :)
Dear Muzi,
There is no freedom of speech in Turkey. Every day people are bring to court for violating the 301 code.
I asked simple what Typical Turkish and Turkisness means. Nobody could give me an answer.
Denying the death, is horrible.
France has a long history of freedom.
But ati semitim are conducted these days, yes, bt Muslems..
Kindest
Dear Hans A.H.C. de Wit,
you did not understand my comment.
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