As the blockbuster film "Odyssey" directed by Christopher Nolan is being released, the Greek government can't stay still: they need to find a way to turn the huge traffic generated by the movie into real money.
According to a report by 'Political News Network' on August 25th, the film 'Odyssey' is based on the famous epic by the ancient Greek poet Homer. A significant portion of the film was shot in Greece, with locations such as Nestor's Cave, Voiodokia Beach, Maseon Castle, and Ancient Corinth making appearances. Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis even had a video call with Nolan to express his gratitude for this film having sparked global interest in ancient Greek culture.
The Greek tourism department took immediate action. The National Tourism Organization of Greece invited the media to Ischia, the legendary birthplace of Odysseus. The magazine "Figaro" subsequently published a special issue of 162 pages titled "Following the Footsteps of Odysseus". The Peloponnese region is currently creating a tourist route called "Odyssey Road—Homeric Peloponnese", aiming to connect the film locations with Greek mythological sites. It is expected that the route will be ready by November.
"We want to make profits from this wave of enthusiasm." Borough official Mike Kagonas said, "Reality may not be as good as expected, but the movie has already brought the area 'worth millions' in free publicity. We will see how we can use it."
Currently, this ‘Odyssey fever’ is indeed becoming profitable. Data from Easy Vacation at the beginning of August shows that reservations for vacation packages in Greece’s mainland and islands have increased by 18% over the past week. Travel company Unforgettable Greece reported a sharp increase in reservations for its Greek products, up by 76% year-on-year, and has launched 22 related tour routes.
The popularity has even spread from tourism to bookstores and language learning. Since the beginning of this year, the sales of Homeric classics such as "Odyssey" have increased by 70% in the UK and 76% in the US. Two weeks after the movie was released, the online search volume for "learning Greek" soared by about 5000%.
However, Professor Angelos Charniotis of the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies reminds that the popularity brought by movies is often short-lived. If Greece does not want to earn quick profits, it needs to improve the display of archaeological sites and museums, strengthen related education and cultural programs, and truly turn the film "Odyssey" into a long-term business.
