WORLD OF ATHENS in London

More than 280,000 people visited the World of Athens installation at Potters Field Park in London, set up just opposite City Hall at Tower Bridge.

The Road Show to promote the city of Athens, being staged by the Greek Ministry of Tourism, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) and the Athens Tourism and Economic Development Company (ATEDCo), made its first stop in London on 22 May and continued to its next destination in Paris on 29 May.

The event was launched with a special presentation of the city of Athens before invited tour operators, conference organising agencies and journalists from major British media, such as the Financial Time, CNN, Travel Magazine, Times Magazine, the Guardian and Rolling Stone.

The city's advantages, its infrastructure, its services and all the possibilities it offers visitors to Athens as a tourism destination were outlined by Nikos Tsioutsias, head of the Ministry of Tourism Press Office who oversees communication and advertising, and Sofia Panagiotaki, GNTO director for Great Britain and Ireland.

WORLD OF ATHENS in London
The unique World of Athens installation includes an impressive 15 metre sphere where visitors may view images projected on its inner 360° surface showing the city of Athens, with an emphasis on its history, culture, dining and nightlife.

At night, the sphere was transformed into a giant outdoor screen, visible from a great distance and drawing the attention of thousands of passers-by from the greater Tower Bridge area.

The programme included a photography exhibition showing images of Athens, the distribution of printed information and the operation of an area set up as a traditional Greek kafeneio where visitors could relax, listen to Greek music and learn Greek dances from the Greek Women's Lyceum group, while sampling some authentic Greek taste treats.

Based on figures collected there, it is estimated that more than 18,000 people visited the interior of the sphere and 823 of them took part in a competition to win a four-day trip to Athens for two.