Imagining Greece: Tourism & Nation Branding
Digital Exhibition Opening and Roundtable Discussion
When:
Thursday, March 27, 2025, | 12:00
Where:
ACG Events Hall, The American College of Greece, 6 Gravias Str., 153 42 Aghia Paraskevi, Athens
Organized by:
Institute of Hellenic Culture and the Liberal Arts (IHCLA), The American College of Greece
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Sports, School of Business and Economics, Deree – The American College of Greece
The event is free and open to the public. Parking upon availability.
Panelists
Olga Kefalogianni
Minister of Tourism, Hellenic Republic
Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos
Professor of Contemporary Political History, University of Peloponnese
President, General State Archives of Greece
Maria Vrasida
Assistant Professor in International Tourism and Hospitality Management,
School of Business and Economics
Deree – The American College of Greece
About the exhibition
Imagining Greece is a digital exhibition that explores how tourism reshaped Greece from the aftermath of Second World War to the end of the Cold War. Discover how political, social, and cultural forces helped craft the image of Greece as a must-visit location, captivating travellers from around the world. Structured around four key themes, the exhibition mirrors the traveler’s journey: The journey starts with the dream of visiting Greece (Picturing), unfolds through the exploration of its diverse destinations (Travelling), deepens with multiple experiences of its culture and people (Discovering), and concludes with cherished memories that last a lifetime (Remembering). More than just a trip, Imagining Greece reveals how travel to Greece is never truly complete – it’s a cycle of inspiration, experience, and renewal.
After the opening a discussion panel will follow.
The exhibition will be presented by
Eirini Karamouzi
Professor of Contemporary European History
Deree – The American College of Greece
Christos Christidis
Professor of Modern History
Hellenic Open University
Stavros Alifragkis
Architect
The presentation of the exhibition will be held in English and the panel discussion in Greek.
About the panelists
Olga Kefalogianni
Minister of Tourism, Hellenic Republic
Olga Kefalogianni was born in Athens in 1975. She is a graduate of the School of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1997) and holds two postgraduate degrees, from King’s College, University of London (LL.M, 1998) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston (GMAP, 2006). She has worked in large law firms in Athens and New York, as well as in the Legal Service of the European Commission in Brussels. From 2004 to 2006 she was an associate of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in legal matters. She was elected Member of Parliament for the Prefecture of Rethymno (2007 and 2009), and, since 2012, she has been elected to the Athens A’ constituency (2012, 2015, 2019, 2023). She served as Minister of Tourism in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ government (2012 – 2015). She has also served as Head of the Greek parliamentary delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (I.P.U), ambassador of the Greek Parliament to the Women Political Leaders (WPL) network, and member of the parliamentary committees of National Defense and Foreign Affairs, Production and Trade, Institutions and Transparency, European Affairs and Armament Programs and Contracts. She is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Policy Studies on Gender and Equality – (KEMEFI) of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO).
Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos
Professor of Contemporary Political History, University of Peloponnese
President, General State Archives of Greece
Dr. Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos was born in Athens, 1972 and is a professor of Contemporary Political History at the University of Peloponnese. Since 2023, he is the President of the General State Archives of Greece as well as the Vice Chairman of the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (OHTE), Council of Europe. He is also a member of the NEW HESTIA’s journal editorial team and has been a regular columnist of several Greek newspapers and magazines. Selected publications: (with Ev. Hatzivasiliou), Twisted track. Politics and culture in Greece, 1960-1974, Metehmio pbl, Athens 2024, Phases and Contradictions of the Greek State in the 20th Century, 1910-2001, Hestia pbl, Athens 2019, From the ’60s to PASOK government, KATHIMERINI editions, Athens 2019, P. Panagiotopoulos – D.P. Sotiropoulos (eds), Political and Cultural Aspects of Greek Exoticism, Palgrave-Macmillan, 2019.
Moderator
Maria Vrasida
Assistant Professor in International Tourism and Hospitality Management,
School of Business and Economics, Deree – The American College of Greece
Dr. Vrasida holds a PhD in Planning Policies for the Development of Tourism from the University of Thessaly. She received an MA in Town and Regional Planning with Specialization in Destination Development from the University of Liverpool and a BA in Architecture and Building Engineering from the University of Liverpool. Her current research interests include the spatial aspect of sustainable tourism planning and development, integrated tourism destination management and relationship between culture, tourism and the environment. She has published more than 25 original research papers in accredited refereed international conferences and journals. She has cooperated as an independent consultant for tourism development and promotion with Municipalities in Greece (Poros, Amarousion and more), and as a consultant for European and National funding projects with European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation Amphictyony, and the Hellenic Agency for Local Development and Local Government (E.E.T.A.A.). She has participated in many tourism development projects for the development and management of tourism and cultural destinations (Venice, Magnesia, coast of Lebanon). She is appointed ad hoc expert in strategic tourism planning by the URBACT European initiative and has participated in many research and development European funded proposals (LIFE, INTEREG, ESPOON, COSME et.all.
