As a Greek citizen I am totally outraged!
Since when did the misery of the Greek people become a show stopper for wannabe travellers? Believe it or not, the Acropolis and the Parthenon are blaze! The archaeological museum and the beaches around Athens are a thing of the past, travel agents are now selling our misery!
A new Athens tour, titled "Greek Crisis" by the Context tour agent in the US takes visitors through a walking tour of downtown Athens in the framework of educating them on how the economic crisis has affected Greek daily life.
Of course the website ad on the tour uses phrases such as "understanding of the Greek economic crisis and its social elements," but let us not kid ourselves, tour agents are actually going to walk people through the streets of Athens and while showing them neo-classical buildings they will also explain to them how miserable our lives are!
The tour begins at 70 Euros and if you want a private tour then its 300 Euros per person.
And after tourists snap photos of senior citizens looking threw rubbish bins for food, or view the people who wait on soup kitchen lines, the tour will end up at a taverna where these "intellectuals" will sample Greek wine and feel thankful that the crisis is occurring here and not in their country. Of course the tour says that they will discuss ways in which our economy can bounce back, but I ask... Don't you think the Greek people have done this already?
And if that wasn't enough, UK-based Political Tours, which is a tour company that has already organized similar tours in countries facing political, financial, social and humanitarian upheaval, is also getting set to organize its first Greek tour. This tour is apparently going to be conducted in August, and according to reports it is going to focus on the future of the Euro. Aside from a quick tour to the island of Samos, and Corinth, visitors will also visit areas such as central Athens and Perama (a very poor area in Piraeus) in order to look at how the austerity measures have taken effect on the Greek people! At the same time they will be briefed on issues of corruption, illegal immigration, unemployment, tax evasion, etc.
And I ask is this what modern travelers call thrilling? Learning and getting a first hand view of the suffering of other people? If Greece had nothing else to offer, then I would probably not care at all... But this country is one of the richest nations on earth in history and culture and this is totally ignored?
Is there no misery in England?
Is everything that rosy there in Britain and so boring, that a thrill would be to set off for Greece and snap photos of soup kitchen lines?
C'mon!
Friends, I am a realist and know that the issue of social status is important to some people, but damn it there must be a lot of unhappy people out there who are probably not that "brilliant" or industrious for wanting to visit a nation to view people who presently suffering from a global economic crisis. I am really curious, does this make them thankful for what they have or have not achieved? Does it make them feel safe? Or is it a reflection of narcissism?
Seriously, how can a normal breathing human being take pleasure in the misfortune of others? Why on earth would he or she travel to Greece, which is the cornerstone of the Western world, -which CIVILIZED THEIR COUNTRIES- and ignore its rich culture, beauty and history and snap photos of poor people who are only trying to cope with a deep economic crisis? Is it because the same crisis has affected their countries but not to the extent of Greece and this makes them feel privileged and grateful?
Greeks rely on tourism, but there is no thrill in viewing other peoples misfortunes. And certainly there is no dignity in it either. If you want a thrill then go on a safari. This is not the image Greece wants to boast about, our ancestors gave the world everything... EVERYTHING... And this is the respect they are showing us?
Everything is not Hollywood!
Snapping photos of Tom Hanks is one thing, but if I personally came across a happy shallow tourist snapping photos of a proud grandmother who is trying to find her next meal in a rubbish bin I would seriously slap her silly.
That is just plain mean and insulting!
Haven't our people suffered enough already?
All we want is some dignity!
No, this is not sadism, it is schadenfreude because sadism is taking pleasure from directly inflicting pain upon someone, while schadenfreude is taking pleasure in other peoples misfortunes.
If that is the case, then I propose that the US travel bureau organize a couple of walking tours to Spanish Harlem. Certainly tourists can view more homeless people there, as well as snap photos of senior citizens picking through rubbish bins. Oh... silly me... While touring this area, remember to duck every so often for fly-by shootings, and if you are lucky enough and come across a gang member who asks you for a cigarette, the best thing to do is to give him everything, including your wallet!
Oh, and the UK Travel agency can organize a quick three hour walking tour into East London. Near Hackney perhaps? And then they can swing over to South London and walk through Lewisham, Lambeth (Brixton & Peckham), Southwark and Croydon. (Said to be the worst)!
To view both tours simply go to these websites.
Context - http://www.contexttravel.com/city/athens
Political Tours - http://www.politicaltours.com/tours/greece-the-euro
Aei Sixtir, vlachares!
Signed
Marina Spanos
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