Xenophobia and Xenophilia are two words which describe antithetical ideas. The fear of a stranger and a foreign country is best demonstrated by the paranoiac hysteria which has been created by the spread of coronavirus (see https://www.atiner.gr/gtp/Papanikos(2020)-coronavirus.pdf). The ethos that the Philoxenia idea requires is tested drastically in periods of crises. Examples abound then and now with the coronavirus as this is demonstrated by the xenelasia (expelling and demonizing the foreign) of ancient Spartans. People with xenolalia are barbarophone as Homer put it in his masterpiece of Iliad. Ancient Greek as many people today were xenophobic. They were the ones who coined the term Barbarians which is still used today by many other ethnicities. They are also xenophobic. If Greeks showed xenophile behaviour this was done either because they feared the punishment from Gods and/or they were expecting material gains. Today these material gains are obtained by foreign tourists from the money they spend when they visit the country (https://www.atiner.gr/gtp/Papanikos(2020)-Philoxenia.pdf ).
15:00-15:45Session II
Chair:Gregory T. Papanikos, President ATINER.
Nuno Almeida, Professor, Polytechnic of Leiria, Portugal. Tourism Entrepreneurs and the Promotion of Local Experiences.
The tourism industry differs from many other industries in that – rather than products – it addresses destinations and components that affect those destinations. Thus, entrepreneurs in the tourism industry often face an equally unique scenario – compared to other industries – as tourism promotion of a destination implies competition with the rest of the world. The fact that tourism entrepreneurs are constantly working in a worldwide competition makes them particularly creative and innovative in their promotion techniques and tools. Thus, in order for a promotional campaign to be successful, it is important to coordinate communication efforts so that there is coherence in the message – which can use various media and platforms – thus reaching the recipient with a synergistic and exponential effect at the level of efficiency and effectiveness. This intangibility of the tourism product provides an added challenge to entrepreneurs who must be consistent in the aspects to be communicated, regardless of the means being used. Thus, tourism entrepreneurs must be increasingly focused on promoting local experiences – unparalleled or inimitable from other destinations – and close collaboration with local partners is essential.
Hassan Refaat, Lecturer, Luxor University, Egypt & Sabreen G. Abd Eljalil, Dean & Professor, Faculty of Tourism & Hotels, Luxor University, Egypt. Boutique Hotels and Local hospitality: A New Approach to Promoting Cultural Heritage of the Hosting Community.
Promoting the Local Cultural and Benefiting The Local Community Have Been Two Important Objectives That The Tourism Sector Is Trying To Achieve. Nowadays tourists are searching to buy an authentic memorable experience not to buy a product or a service. Many hotels have responded to that by taking some steps that would enhancing the essence of localism, Brands as respected as Ritz Carlton are experimenting with local food trucks on their premises, while New York’s Roger Smith Hotel has brought local shopping directly to guests by maintaining a dedicated space for pop-up shops. Sheraton’s recent 10 point plan to refresh itself by the year 2020 puts the focus on local F & B and design which is making full use of local art and décor. Another form of hospitality which is trying to showcase the local culture and benefit the local community as well I what so called Homestay which is a popular form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the city to which they are traveling. The local hospitality can play a great role in; promoting the real essence of the destination and benefiting the local economy as well as meet the expectations of the customers.
15:45-16:30 Session III
Chair: Georgios Zouridakis, Lecturer, University of Essex, UK & Research Fellow, ATINER.
Vincenzo Asero, Assistant Professor, University of Catania, Italy. In Search of ‘Authenticity’ in Film Tourism Experience.
Images play a vital role in promoting destinations and are essential in place marketing or place selling. Today, tourist destinations are more and more competitive and try to increase their market shares using a range of promotional tools. It is increasingly the case that tourists visit destinations featured in films which have no direct relation to tourism promotion campaigns. Films influence both the perception of the places in which they are set, and the travel choices by creating a priori images of what a destination and its people may look like. Therefore, they constitute ‘unofficial place-marketing tools’.The desire for ‘authenticity’ means that tourists are searching for a connection with something that is real and rooted within the destination. The issue of authenticity interests not just tourists, but has implications for a destination as well. However, in the film tourism experience the concept of authenticity can be used to create tourist products which modify local cultural assets to market them as consumable products that suit the tastes of tourists. This commodification process may lead to a loss of authenticity of the local culture and, paradoxically, undermine the authenticity of the tourist experience.
Ahmed Y. G. Rashed, Professor, The British University, Egypt. Civilization Rights and Responsible Tourism.
The Civilization Right to Build Civilization (CRBC), whose first phase was funded by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology 2017-2019, is a campaign and research projected aiming to raise awareness among the Egyptians and the international community regarding: (a) the moral and materials rights of exploiting antiquities, symbols, and any form of culture or heritage expression of the ancient Egyptian civilization for commercial purpose (b) exploring ways to spread awareness among scientific community, Egyptology scholars and practitioners, and admirers of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and architecture, and engage in constructive discussion claiming these rights and (c) challenging current legal discourses that facilitate commercial exploitation of the Egyptian heritage for free.
16:30-17:15 Session IV
Chair: Olga Gkouda, Researcher, ATINER.
DaissyMoya, Professor, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Colombia. Importance of the Replies to Reviews for the Online Reputation of Hotels in Latin America.
Purpose The aim of this study is to analyze the importance of responses to comments for the online reputation of hotels located in Latin America. Methodology Using REVINATE, software used to measure online reputation in the hotel sector, 60 hotels of the GHL Hotel Chain located in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru were analyzed during a year highlighting the following variables:
Country
Hotel
Review reception channel
Number of reviews
Percentage of participation per channel in the total number of reviews
Average mark
Number of responses
Percentage of responses
Position on TripAdvisor
Conclusions Hoteliers should pay attention to the reviews that guests register daily at OTAs and opinion sites, each response given to guests is valued by customers and potential guests, and improves the position on TripAdvisor.
Georgios Zouridakis, Lecturer, University of Essex, UK & Research Fellow, ATINER. The Rise of Short-Term Rentals in Greece: Some Thoughts on the Recent Judicial Response.
Short-Term Rentals have been increasing in numbers in recent years, becoming an important – yet arguably controversial- component of the Greek hospitality market (broadly defined). There are three main categories of landlords. Those who have a spare room or dwelling (quite often a summer house) that they themselves use within the year; those who own more than one property and see in Short-Term Rentals an opportunity for bigger margin for profit compared to traditional annual leases; and non-Greek residents investing in real estate property. Given that the most common type of construction in Greece is multi-storey buildings, it comes as no surprise that friction between permanent residents and short – term landlords arose, reaching eventually the courtroom. However, much confusion exists regarding the limits set by law to this activity, due to the fact that Short-Term Rentals not only are a recent phenomenon, but also (arguably) under-regulated; and that the judicial response so far looks – prima facie at least- inconsistent, if not conflicting. This paper critically considers the existing case law and illustrates its implications for the relevant markets (hospitality and real estate). It argues that any public outcry that the judiciary “banned” Short-Term Rentals is unjustified, to say the least. It is further argued that important questions related to Short-Term Rentals remain to be addressed by different courts and regulatory bodies. It is suggested that the latter two define the purpose and function of Short-Term Rentals strictly, thus setting a clear direction for future action.
17:15-18:30 Session V: Short Interventions, Questions and Dialogue
The symposium reflected on the current crises, namely the epidemic along with the refugee-migrant crises that dramatically affect the concept and content of “philoxenia” and inevitably tourism. It was argued that “philoxenia” has been the greatest invention of humankind. An enormous source of creativity and indeed of civilization, which turns the fear of strangers (“Xenophobia”) and the unknown into companionship, mutuality, solidarity, understanding and knowledge. The most obvious modern industry powered by this source is tourism. However, “philoxenia”, as any other value of our civilization, every time it nears the top is tested in a storm of crises, rolls down and then has to start from the beginning, like Sisyphus. This mythical person, doomed to roll an immense boulder up a hill, that immediately rolled down from the slope, is, for some, the symbol of the absurd, and for others the hero is the symbol of ceaseless civilizing endeavor that resumes with perseverance. And it starts again with persistence from the roots, the roots of each particular place. That is why our cradle matters! “Philoxenia”, as an intangible part of the tourism product, provides an additional challenge to tourism entrepreneurs who must be consistent in the aspects that must be satisfied, regardless of the means being used. Thus, tourism entrepreneurs must be increasingly focused on promoting authentic local experiences – unparalleled or inimitable from other destinations – and close collaboration with local partners is essential. In this context there was revealed the need to safeguard the authenticity of the cultural heritage of each place, the living experience of which is being recognized as a unique experience of authentic “philoxenia”. The case of the Italian television series “Il commissario Montalbano” is an example of documenting the authenticity of the local culture in a way that promotes the authenticity of the tourist experience. Also, notable are branded hotel chains that ‘experiment’ with authentic local cuisines, others that maintain shops dedicated exclusively to folk art and those being renovated by making full use of local art and decor. However, in tourism the concept of authenticity is also used to create tourist products which modify local cultural assets to market them as consumable products to suit the tastes of tourists. This commodification process may lead to a loss of authenticity of the local culture and, paradoxically, undermine the authenticity of the tourist experience, the authenticity of “philoxenia”. Of particular concern is the commodification of the great ancient civilizations. So, at the Symposium there was a manifestation of this concern invoking the “Ancient Civilizations Forum” (ACForum, better known as GC10), which was first convened in Athens in April 2017 with the participation – in addition to Greece – of China, Bolivia, Egypt,, India, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Mexico and Peru, countries that are cradles of ancient civilizations.
20:30-22:30 Official Dinner of the Symposium
The working language of the Symposium is English. If you are interested in participating, fill the participation form.
