The 5th International Conference on Destination Branding and Marketing

(DBM-V)

Session: The Marketing and Branding of Conflict-Ridden Destinations

Crisis & Reputation Management for Destinations: The case of Athens, Greece

Authors: Manolis Psarros, Daisy Modiano, Pantazis Pastras

Abstract

In recent years, destination managers have become aware of the sudden and unexpected ways in
which perceptions of their localities at a global scale can change dramatically in the light of
escalating political tension. This is also the case of Greece and the capital city of Athens, where the
sovereign debt crisis that began in 2009 and its implications, damaged their reputation through
extensive international negative media coverage with a direct effect to the places image.

This report, following a practitioners perspective, draws attention to the experience of respective
tourism public authorities at national and local level in terms of dealing with the consequences of
the economic crisis and reinforcing the destinations image and position in the international tourism
scene. The analysis is not confined to the traditional debate of practices undertaken by destination
management organizations as a response to domestic tension. It extends to a case study analysis of
Greece & Athens in terms of holistic tourism development, management and marketing, especially
focusing on strategic urban re-development and reputation management and marketing initiatives
led by the public tourism authorities with visible positive results.

Specifically, the case of Athens will present The Athens Project development plan, a 10-year
multidimensional development plan for the city of Athens, which includes actions towards the
enhancement of the Citys tourism product and tourism services promotion as part of the City of
Athens Convention and Visitors Bureaus strategic action plan. In addition, the report analyzes the
ThisIsMyAthens community involvement & reputation management project which was developed,
in response to the negative international promotion for the city, driven by a situational analysis and
set marketing objectives to ensure consistency of the promoted message and efficient brand
management.

In terms of crisis management, social media have already proven their value to many destinations as
a powerful tool when dealing with a crisis. At a time when few destinations had included social
media into their strategic communication frameworks, the City of Athens official Tourist Board
through a crisis management mechanism, managed to utilize both its on-site tourism infrastructure


and its social networks immediately and provide real-time information about the intense but short
lived social unrest incidents that were taking place at that time of political and social tension.

In the last two decades, crisis management and post-crisis marketing have gradually enhanced their
status as subjects of study among tourism academics and practitioners. This report suggests,
however, that future research on the marketing and branding of conflict-ridden destinations is
important to consider the position of destination reputation management as an integral aspect of
place reputation management. Actually, the idea that destinations are turning into places reflects the
challenges that destination management organizations worldwide face already as part of their efforts
to boost the images of their localities through market groups with different priorities, stakeholders
with different interests, and numerous sources of information. In this sense, the report also
considers the implications for the governance of tourism destinations in the context of wider place-
making and place-branding practices.

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Psarros, M. (2010, November 03) Destination Branding Workshop. Creating a Place Brand,
Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/mpsarros/destination-branding-
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United Nations World Tourism Organization & European Travel Commission (2009) Handbook on
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