Ithaca bets on hometown hero Odysseus for tourism boom
The Greek island of Ithaca is hoping to leverage the popularity of a new film adaptation of 'The Odyssey' to boost local tourism. Despite the film not being shot on the island, officials and business owners believe the cultural association will attract visitors.
Why it matters
This highlights the economic impact of pop culture on regional tourism and the challenges of 'film tourism' when local authenticity is at stake.
LANDMARK Tourists stand next to a statue of Odysseus, sculpted by Korina Cassianou, in the town of Vathy on the island of Ithaca, in the Ionian Sea, on Aug. 3. - Agence France-Presse ITHACA, Greece - Standing on the ferry as it waits to dock on the Greek island of Ithaca, Giorgia Ongarato is only too keen to talk about the "Odyssey" - the epic poem that inspired Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film.
The Italian lawyer said it was her dream to come to Ithaca, widely believed to be the same island as the home of Odysseus in the poem.
Dressed in a T-shirt emblazoned with the word "Odyssey" in ancient Greek alongside a line from the poem, she enthused: "I studied Greek when I was a child, and I studied the Odyssey."
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