Stunning new Street View imagery gives tourism boost to Greece

Just in time for spring vacation planning, Street View imagery of Greece has arrived in Google Maps. Starting today, travelers can get an immersive look at the Greek landscape, unveiling some of the country’s major cities, tourist destinations, cultural and historic sites, and natural landscapes. Collected with the the Street View Trekker, a wearable backpack with a camera system on top, this imagery allows potential tourists to virtually walk through the mountainous and winding pathways of Greece, enticing them to visit in person.

This imagery update is part of Google’s commitment to help the Greek tourism sector grow, bringing more local content online as part of the Grow Greek Tourism Online initiative, which provides Greek tourism entrepreneurs free trainings and online tools to grow their business throughout the year.

To get a glimpse of some of the country’s highlights, travelers can begin their Greek journey at Meteora, which literally translates to “middle of the sky.” This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the largest and most important complexes of Greek Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos.

Visit Meteora, a breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site

Then tourists can enjoy the view of Athens from Lycabettus hill. According to Greek mythology, the Goddess Athena dropped this mountain in surprise after hearing bad news from a raven. No matter its origin, the vistas are a beautiful place to enjoy the warm, Greek sun above and the urban landscape below.

Enjoy the unique view of Athens from Lycabettus

Next, travelers can cruise to a lagoon called Balos off the coast of Crete. This islet forms part of a cape through the lagoon called Cap Tigani (which means "frying pan" in Greek).

Cruise to Balos, a lagoon in Crete

Continuing their exploration of Crete, tourists can also traverse the Samaria Gorge, a National Park and a World's Biosphere Reserve, with a length of 18 km.

Traverse the Samaria Gorge in the southwestern Crete

This is just a sample of all the wonderful views available now in Street View in Google Maps. To explore more of the collection, view this Greek gallery.

And businesses can also benefit from Street View technology by embedding Google Maps directly into their website for free, helping to promote these locations -- whether it’s a hotel chain, tourist destinations or a local library, museum or restaurant.

Posted by Magdalena Filak, Street View Associate Program Manager

Launching voices of the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Sea is the cradle of Western civilization - but all too often today is seen as an area of conflict. Together with the Voces Fondation, we are today launching a project designed to promote the development of a Mediterranean as a common place of respect, peace and solidarity.

Our focus is engage young people between the ages of 14 and 22 from Spain in the West to Palestine in the East that are interested in photography and audiovisual arts. Voces Foundation already has created a G+ page (Voices of the Mediterranean) where people can share pictures and videos about what the Mediterranean means, highlighting those aspects that bring us together instead of those aspects that separate the different cultures and countries.

Specific topics that will be discussed include access to water and other natural resources and to access to Internet and new technologie. Other subjects range from education and culture; gastronomy; entrepreneurship with social impact - and above all, peace. Actors and singers including actress Elisa Mouliaá or the musician and composer Rash already are contributing. Participate using the hashtag #Nostrum.

At the end of the project, we will hold a contest to choose the most interesting photos, painting and videos. Please contribute!

P Esperanza Ibáñez Lozano, Public Policy Manager

Spurring Greek tourism

For the past five years, an economic meltdown has plunged Greece into crisis. Amid the the rubble, the country’s economic motor more than ever has become tourism. It now accounts 17% of GDP, and powered by the Internet, is demonstrating, a high potential for growth. Our "Grow Greek Tourism Online” program, launched, in partnership with the Minister of Tourism, the National Tourism Board and the Federation of Tourism Enterprises, allows B&Bs, neighborhood restaurants and even specialty ice cream shops and bars to use the Internet and reach new customers.



The program provides tourism entrepreneurs with digital skills and tools to grow their business during and beyond Greece’s short summer tourism season. About 70 percent of the country's tourism arrivals take place between June and September. Although Greece's islands and beaches are delightful in spring and autumn, only about 17 percent of tourists come in May, October and November. “Now, more than ever, it is possible to gradually extend the tourist season. Through web partnerships and the use of innovative tools, we make a further step in this direction," said Olga Kefalogianni, the Minister of Tourism.

The opportunity is significant: According to recent research by Oxford Economics, an increase in the online activities of the Greek tourism industry can grow Greece’s GDP by 3% and create 100K new jobs.

As a first step, we kicked off the program in Crete (which accounts for 15 percent of the country’s tourism business), hosting events for small and medium sized businesses in the island’s two largest cities, Chania and Heraklion. More than 600 companies participated. Greece’s National Tourism Board EOT launched a campaign for Crete as an autumn tourism destination on their +Page with over 1.4 million followers. “Everyone involved in tourism must take advantage of the web." said EOT’s General Secretary, Panos Livadas. The President of the Federation of Tourism Enterprises Andreas Andreadis summed up the project best: "That’s a strong bright light which should help power Greece out of its long economic gloom.”

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Public Policy & Government Relations Manager, Athens

Street View arrives in 56th country - Greece

Greece is home to many of the world’s great cultural and historical monuments and remarkable landscapes, making it a natural for Street View, which allows web users to take panoramic real-life virtual tours of public roads. That’s why we’re particularly excited to announce the launch of the pathbreaking service this month, making Greece the 56th country added to Street View. From now on unique Greek landmarks, such as the Corfu Old Town, the White Tower in Thessaloniki and the Arch of Hadrian in the center of Athens, will be vividly represented on our computer screens. We’ve gathered some of our favourite scenes in our Views Gallery.

The serene port in Mykonos

Many Greeks long have been keen for us to bring its benefits to their country, seeing Street View as a powerful tool for the promotion of a country. At a launch event in Athens, Andreas Andreadis, President of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises, said the new service will prove invaluable to tourists coming to Greece — and Greek businesses serving them. Visitors now will be able to check their hotel in advance and preview places they want to visit. Street View benefits everyone from the wheelchair user who can check whether a building has a ramp to the elderly who may check whether there are sufficient parking spots before leaving home. Minister of Culture and Sports Panos Panagiotopoulos welcomed Street View in Greece as nothing less than “a gift from God.”



Many other types of Greece businesses will benefit. Anyone can embed Google Maps into their site for free, helping them to promote a chain of hotels, tourist places, points of history and cultural importance or increase awareness of a local library or restaurant. Event organizers will be able to evaluate locations, restaurants, hotels, museums. Real estate agents and customers will save time by exploring properties online before visiting.

The White Tower in Thessaloniki, on a typically sunny Greek day

As always, we’ve built privacy safeguards into Street View — we blur people’s faces and vehicle license plates automatically — and if anyone sees a need for additional blurring, they can let us know by clicking on ‘Report a problem’ in the bottom left corner of the screen.

We're excited to be launching our first Greek imagery, but our journey is far from finished - we are already planning to redrive and refresh the Greek imagery.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Public Policy & Government Relations Manager, Athens

Become a cartographer: help us improve Europe's maps

Maps are no longer static paper records, but living, breathing representations of our world. Places around us are constantly changing — while mountains don’t move, roads are rerouted, homes are built, shops open and close. Many times, the best way to keep Google Maps fresh and up to date is by allowing anyone, anywhere with an Internet connection to contribute to the map using their knowledge of the areas they know best. So we’re delighted that Google Map Maker is now available for budding cartographers to edit our maps of Greece, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

With Map Maker, everyone can contribute your local expertise to make an even more comprehensive, useful and interesting map. Begin in your town or village and try adding the outlines or ‘footprints’ of local shops, restaurants and other businesses. Then help enrich the maps of national parks, or add leisure facilities and historic landmarks. If you enjoy the great outdoors, try adding campsites, beautiful beaches or your favorite cycling paths.



Whether you add a biking route through Tallinn or a landmark in Vilnius, each improvement to the map will help locals and tourists alike better understand the area and discover new things to do. Once approved, your contributions will appear on Google Maps, Google Earth and Google Maps for mobile.

The map of Korčula, Croatia, often cited as the birthplace of Marco Polo, before and after Map Maker edits

To get started, visit our Google Map Maker community forum and see the Help Centre for tips and tricks, or watch mapping in real-time with Map Maker Pulse. Happy mapping!

Posted by Nicole Drobeck, Map Maker Community Manager

Promoting Child Safety in Greece

The play takes place on a farm with many animals who love to surf the Internet. Unfortunately, they soon run into trouble. A naughty pig finds how dangerous it is to reveal personal data online. A shy hen runs encounters difficulties after talking to strangers online. Playful geese learn the importance of cross-checking the reliability of information they find online. Thankfully, a wise owl and the two kids living in the farm always come to the rescue.

In Greece, in collaboration with Saferinternet, we took this play called “The Internet Farm” on tour through ten cities around the country. In addition to the theater, the program included integrated digital workshops for children and informative sessions for teachers and parents.



The project attracted widespread support. Besides the national Ministry of Education, some 30 local and regional organizations offered their support. They included Western Greece's Education Directorate , the IT teachers Association of Evros, the municipality of Chania, the Region of Crete, and the Church of Kalamata.

The tour had a strong impact. About 40,000 children and 3,000 parents and teachers attended the play and participated in the activities. Many theaters were fully booked, with some spectators standing or sitting on the steps.

Our hope is that the show’s lessons are carried beyond the theater. Many of the educators who are involved are taking the messages back to their classrooms. So the Internet Farm will live on - and maybe even spawn a sequel.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Public Policy Manager, Athens

Boosting Tourism in Southern Europe

If Southern Europe is to recover from the euro crisis, the region will need to boost its traditionally strong tourism industry - and one of the best ways to sell its sun, beauty, and history is through the Internet. This is the conclusion of new Oxford Economics study titled “The Impact of Online Content on European Tourism.”

The research, supported by us, found that Greece, Italy and Spain could improve their performance with online bookings. On average, some 49 percent of hotel bookings in the European Union,are made on the web. In Greece, by contrast, online bookings account for only 10 percent. In Spain, it is 26 percent, and in Italy, 43 percent.


In addition, the three countries enjoy great opportunities to market their rich cultural heritage.  Culture-related searches account for 45 percent of all tourism-related searches on Greece, 31 percent for Italy, and 44 percent for Spain. Greek Italian and Spanish museums, art galleries, historical sites and cultural events will be able to move more traffic online.

If full advantage is taken of the Internet, Oxford calculates that Greece could see a 20 percent expansion in its tourism business, boosting GDP growth by an astounding 3.2 percent. Italy’s GDP would increase by 1 percent, and Spain’s by 0.5 percent. Some 50,000 jobs would be created in Spain, 100,000 in Greece, and 250,000 in Italy.



Specific recommendations to achieve these goals include:

• Encourage tourist businesses to build websites in multiple languages across multiple online platforms - travel apps, travel apps, search, sales portals, travel reviews, travel guides.
• Update the content frequently - and given the significant role that culture plays in tourism in Europe, pay special attention to online cultural content.
• Motivate government agencies to work with the private sector to provide complementary destination and cultural online content.
• Use social media and encourage feedback from customers. This will allow businesses to build relationships with their customers as well as improve service offerings over time.

Fortunately, we’re seeing signs that the Mediterranean tourist industry is embracing these opportunities. At the report's recent launch in Athens, the president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises, Andreas Andreadis, pointed to the Discovergreece.com website that serves as a platform for online reservations. Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said the VisitGreece.gr had attracted 7.3 million unique visitors and reported that her Ministry has launched a web-based communication campaign to promote Greece. Carlos Romero, from Spain’s government tourist innovation agency Seggitur, spoke of the success of spainisculture.com.

Let’s hope that the research will encourage additional investments in online tourism.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Public Policy Manager, Athens

A Greek boot camp for startups

After suffering an economic catastrophe, seeing a quarter of GDP evaporate over the past five years, Greece needs more than ever to encourage entrepreneurs. In an attempt to do just this, we recently inaugurated "Google Launchpad", a four-day boot camp for early stage start-ups, in Athens.

Greece is a country of highly qualified youth, ranking 10th in the world in availability of scientists and engineers. But it is ravaged by 60% unemployment (highest in the European Union) among youth under the age of 30. Our goal at Launchpad is to marry this potential talent with exciting opportunities.

The project brought together 80 developers and entrepreneurs from around Greece. They formed teams and organized their startups over the course of a week, under the guidance and mentoring from local Greek and visiting Israeli Googlers. Our first Google Launchpad took place in start-up hub Israel, and the Israeli experience provided crucial inspiration.

Some 13 start-ups ended up pitching their plans and prototypes to a panel of VC funders. Three winners were chosen:

· SpeakerZen, an app that presenters can use to get instant feedback from their audience
· SponsorBoat, an event marketplace connecting sponsors with event promoters
· Processus.io, a process management platform for SMB efficiency

Each received a three month package of support with office space, facilities, legal/accounting advice and mentoring, recruiting services as well as the Google Developers Startup Pack including $18,000 towards Google Cloud Platform products.

Congratulations! We hope these exciting ideas soon will be powering some exciting Greek startups.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Policy Manager, Athens

Enhancing Greek democracy

The timing for the debate was ideal: Greece is fighting against an unprecedented political - as much as economic - crisis. Earlier this month, police arrested several leaders of a far-right, xenophobic, neo-fascist party Golden Dawn, charging it with a variety of serious criminal offenses including murder. At the beginning of next year, the country takes over the six month European Union presidency.

In response, we became a supporter and prime mover behind the first “Digital Democracy” conference, held in the original 19th-century Old Parliament building in Athens. Participants included the Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Deputy Foreign Minister, the e-Government Minister and the Minister responsible for public television. The conference explored the ways that digital technologies and the Internet enhance democracy by changing the nature of political communication.



Speakers concluded that a democratic deficit exists in Europe which the Internet can help fill. Politicians need to leverage the web for a two-way dialogue, listening as much as talking to citizens. We need to close the digital literacy gap which leaves certain parts of the population - the less digitally savvy - out of democratic processes. Most important, the Government needs to use Internet tools to increase transparency via the use of open data and of online public consultations.

Other countries face similar challenges. No silver bullet exists. It will take sweat and perseverance for the Greece and the rest of Europe to solidify their democracies.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Policy Manager, Athens

Creating the Library of the Future in Greece

The famed Library at Alexandria was located in Egypt - but an expression of Greek culture. A student of Aristotle created the library and it was designed in the style of Aristotle’s Lyceum and placed adjacent to a Greek temple. Most of its collection came from trips to the book fairs of Rhodes and Athens. So perhaps it is no accident that we’re working in Greece to launch one of the world’s most exciting projects to reinvent the library for the digital age.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is investing EUR560 million to build a Cultural Center which will host the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera. As part of the project, the Foundation is also funding “Future Library”, an effort that aims to transform public libraries into media labs and hubs of creativity, innovation and learning, attracting many groups who now spend little time there - entrepreneurs, students, unemployed, and immigrants. So far, nine libraries are participating from all over Greece - including the municipal libraries of Kozani, Trikala, Corinth, Keratsini-Drapetsona, Heliopolis, Chania, Drama,Levadia, and Nafpaktos.



Google is participating, providing design know-how to the architects hired by Future Library to help create innovative and creative spaces. With the help of the Google real estate team, we will review the architect submissions, provide technical comment on all proposals and assist the Foundation in executing the exciting project. In addition, we are holding workshops for participating librarians, helping them acquire skills on effective use of Google tools and including Google search, Google+, YouTube and Docs.

Some might have imagined that the Internet would make libraries superfluous or irrelevant. But the reality looks like quite the opposite - the Internet can help libraries become a center for new digital learning and a point of reference for local communities.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Public Policy & Government Relations Manager, Greece

Promoting a Safe Web in Brussels - and throughout Europe

As a mum of two energetic and curious kids, I love to see how the Internet helps them learn, share and be entertained. Like any parent, I also understand how the Internet can become an overwhelming place and that, as in real life, includes bad actors.

That’s why I work at Google to help parents and children surf safely. My job is to mobilize support for parents, teachers, and non-profit organizations to promote child safety through fun and innovative ways - from theater performances in Greece to animation contests in Germany.

The projects, I’m happy to say, are attracting attention at the highest levels of the European Union. This week, I participated in a meeting of the Better Internet for Kids Coalition in Brussels, an initiative launched by European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes. Our Senior Vice President Rachel Whetstone explained, via video, how we build safety tools such as SafeSearch and YouTube Safety Mode.



I’m always on the lookout for creative ways to spread the safety message. In Greece, the local Saferinternet.gr coalition has produced a play called “The Internet Farm.” After the performances, children, teachers and parents participate in safety workshops. Take a look:



In Germany, we have partnered with the biggest festival of German-language children’s media Golden Sparrow, supporting a new online prize promoting child safety. This year’s winner, recently announced is Kindernetz. Our YouTube 361° Respect campaign against racism, discrimination and bullying recently had its grand finale featuring the pop band “Glasperlenspiel.”



We look forward to continuing our work with Vice President Neelie Kroes in Brussels - and parents and children throughout the European Union.

Posted by Sabine Frank, Public Policy & Gov't Relations Counsel, Media Literacy, Berlin

Debating the future of Europe’s Single Market

“Europe wake up! We will only return to growth and prosperity if we complete the Single Market.” This motion will be debated tonight at 19:00 CET, live via Google+ Hangout on Air and on YouTube.

European Commissioner Michel Barnier will open the debate. Four EU experts - from the left and the right of the political spectrum and each with an axe to grind - will argue for and against the motion. Via Google+ Hangouts, the experts will cross-examine witnesses - including journalists, academics, economists and entrepreneurs from Ireland, Poland, Germany, France and Greece - to convince you they’re right. Veteran journalist and broadcaster Christine Ockrent will moderate.



The debate takes place just a few days before the EU marks the Single Market’s 20th anniversary. When it was launched in 1992, the Commission’s bold attempt to construct a seamless, truly tariff-free, pan-European market stimulated a wave of ‘Europtimism’. Now, with Europe facing challenging economic times, the Single Market’s importance to Europe is being re-examined.

You can have your say by voting on the motion - both before and after the debate - via youtube.com/versusdebates.

You can also join the discussion by adding your comments and questions to the +Versus Google+ page during the debate. The best questions, as decided by the debate organiser, Intelligence Squared, will be put to the panel, live on air.

Posted by Al Verney, Senior Communications Manager, Google

Leveraging the Internet to revive the Greek economy

Greece is suffering from a dramatic economic crisis, and its heavily indebted government cannot fuel a recovery through public spending. One cost-free way to encourage growth would be to encourage more business to leverage the Internet.

In order to underline this opportunity, we recently launched an Economic Impact Study in Athens to measure the size of Greece’s Internet economy. The Boston Consulting Group produced the report independently. Our launch event attracted over 200 participants, including numerous ministers, members of parliament, business leaders and the media.

The study showed that Greece has not yet embraced the Internet as fully as most other European countries. ONly 49% of Greeks using the Internet and only 12% of them make purchases online. Almost half of Greek SMEs have either a low presence or no Internet presence. In 2010, the Internet directly contributed an estimated EUR2.7 billion to the Greek economy, or 1.2% of total Greek GDP. Without any policy incentives, this is expected to reach EUR3.6 billion by 2015, with realistic policy measures, it can even reach EUR6.5 billion by 2015.



The study offered concrete recommendations to build an "online culture” and grow Greece’s Internet economy. “Policymakers can encourage multinationals like Amazon and eBay to establish their presence in Greece by cutting the red tapes that inhibits foreign companies and startups,” BCG says. “They should also consider offering temporary tax exemptions for new online businesses.”

In addition, the government should require online completion of government forms companies with government contracts to conduct all bidding, invoicing, online. Tlecom companies “should be given incentives through lower broadband fees, public-private infrastructure partnerships, and tax exemptions to spend on infrastructure upgrades,” bringing broadband speeds throughout the country.

Last but not least, improving Internet literacy for adults and school students will create more confident online users and consumers. If Greece manages to bring these Internet-fueling reforms into place, it will help improve productivity and competitiveness of its overall economy.

You can read the full report here.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Public Policy Manager, Greece

Helping a Greek tourism revival

Amid Greece’s gloom and doom, one sector is thriving - tourism. Both tourist receipts and the number of visitors rose by about 10 percent last year, even as the country’s overall economy shrank by more than five percent. Tourism now accounts for one in five jobs and 16 percent of the entire Greek economy, and the Internet is playing a key role in its success, without relying on scarce government funds.

Many moves are responsible for the tourist bright spot. Taxes on ferry tickets and hotel rooms have been slashed. Low cost airlines are adding flights to the country and visa restrictions have been simplified for non-EU citizens from Turkey, China and India. Most of these rising number of visitors are using the Internet to book their flights and accommodations: the Tourist Board’s VisitGreece.gr webside attracted 2.2 million visitors last year, up from a mere 200,000 in 2009.



At the first ever Google Travel Forum in Greece, more than 2000 visitors showed up to hear the Tourism Minister, Pavlos Yeroulanos, describe the government’s “strategic shift towards online marketing and social media to grow tourism.” The Forum showcased how the Internet allows the smallest b&b on the most idyllic Greek island to reach potential visitors anywhere in the world, and at the same time, allows the country’s largest travel operators to compete effectively against multinationals.

The Forum’s closing session featured a one on one discussion between the Greek Tourism Minister Yeroulanos, and the Google Country Manager Stefanos Loukakos, The Minister concluded by tweeting how “internet and social media can help SMEs.” We couldn’t agree more - and will continue helping the Greek tourism industry and the Greek economy as a whole grow its way out of its current crisis.

Posted by Dionisis Kolokotsas, Public Policy manager Greece

Measuring Internet network speeds with the OECD

Whether it’s the nutritional value of food, the fuel economy of a new car - or the real performance of your broadband connection - good, standardised data and transparency is the key to understanding this important information. Our executive chairman Eric Schmidt outlined our views on the importance of measurement in a speech this week in Brussels.

Yesterday, as part of Measurement Lab (M-Lab), we presented important data on Internet network speed to a committee at the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation in Paris. M-Lab is a collaborative effort led by researchers in partnership with companies and other institutions, as part of a drive to help ISPs, regulators and consumers improve Internet services across the continent. Some regulators such as the UK’s Ofcom are also running their own comparable measurement projects.



At the OECD, we outlined several recent developments. SamKnows, an M-Lab partner, is running a project for the European Commission designed to map network performance in all EU Member States. In Greece, the country’s telecom regulator, the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission, has launched a new consumer-focused broadband measurement portal, using M-Lab’s Network Diagnostic Tool (NDT) and data. Greek consumers now have real-time, useful information about their broadband performance. The portal uses M-Lab’s NDT to detail average speed, latency, packet loss, and other performance metrics for different areas of Greece. Interactive features allow consumers to compare the results from their tests with averages.

In the future, the Greek regulator hopes to expand the portal to allow consumers to compare speeds across Internet service providers, and to run M-Lab’s Glasnost test to determine the occurrence of application-specific traffic blocking. We encourage other governments and consumer advocates to take a look at M-Lab, and to consider the possibility of using this open-source code. Everyone - ISPs, regulators and consumers - will benefit from solid data about Internet network speeds.

Posted by Meredith Whittaker, Program Manager, Google Research