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Vacations in every corner of the earth are now necessary for the citizens of the world. This need becomes more imperative due to all the problems and unexpected quarantine situation taking place in the planet during the last year and, thus, it becomes even more necessary for us to take a break in order to escape our daily routine and “fill our batteries”, as we use to say.

Upon choosing to visit a region, for our holiday, we have to take some facts under consideration.

In this article we would like to offer a more insightful perspective of Greece and in particular Rhodes. Thus we’d like to provide you with some historical background, so that  you can get an idea of how tourism was developed in Greece.

At the end of the ‘60s, before the beginning of massively organized vacations, visitors, mainly from Europe, had begun to visit Greece impressed by its history, its climate, its gastronomy, its many islands with their traditional and picturesque character, but mostly for the internationally acknowledged Greek hospitality, which stems from the culture of the Greek people.

The development of tourism was at first a product of personal friendships that the first visitors made with the locals. The so-called “repeaters” were people who, due to the friendship they had developed, repeatedly visited the same Greek destinations. They spread by word of mouth to friends and acquaintances in their country their experiences, short stories from their vacations, the beauties they encountered, the love they received from their new friends, the flavors they tasted and many other things, which essentially were the first “advertising campaigns” of Greek tourism.

The same also took place at Faliraki. Mostly European citizens started visiting the small fishing village of Faliraki and building relationships with the hospitable people of the region, who treated them with their crops and their fresh fish, gestures priceless for the visitors, as well as delicacies of the Greek land and sea. It was not long before the reputation of the region started reach a European and global level. Nowadays, Faliraki is constantly the top Greek destination in terms of visitor numbers in proportion to the size of the region.

The gradual development of Faliraki area, as well as the entire island, led and continues to the construction of new accommodation units all over Rhodes, as well as in other regions of Greece, aiming at the upgrade of their amenities to visitors.

The upgrade has various results. An advantage is that as accommodation choices are expanding, more and more visitors come to the island, as well as to Faliraki, which has become the biggest tourist resort of the island.

A disadvantage is that the luxury and high amenities of the hotels, the packages of big tourism companies, and the “all-inclusive” concept kept visitors in the hotels, which led to a loss of  human contact, on which tourism had been built.

It is certain that those who wish to go on vacations will find and select the accommodation that covers their needs. Some will choose a luxurious hotel, some a more modest one, and others an independent accommodation. You can also choose between an all-inclusive or half-board package or a simple stay.

However, there is something we would like to point out: if you visited a destination which consisted only of accommodation units, a purely residential resort, how would that feel?

It is the total composition of the local sights, the monuments, the beaches, the morphology, the activities, as well as the people of each society that are taken into consideration by more than 90% of visitors, wishing to go on vacations to another country, according to international studies.

We frequently observe the phenomenon that even though visitor research before selecting a region is based on all the aforementioned elements, as soon as they arrive, they choose to remain mostly in their accommodations without visiting all the sights, local markets, monuments etc. that they initially searched for.

• What is the point of visiting an island, for example, if you have seen nothing but the airport or the port and your hotel?
• What would be the point of having finished your holiday in a place without having met the people who live there?
• What is the difference between going on holiday to a luxurious hotel in your country or to an international destination, such as Greece, if, in both cases, you have spent all your time inside the hotel?

These are some of the fundamental questions that you should ask yourselves while planning your vacations.

Our advice is based on the beauty of human relationships and we encourage you to think about and act on it.

Regardless of where you choose to stay, include in your schedule basic things that will create memories and enrich your holiday, such as:

• Choose to visit every corner of the region you have selected.
• Choose to taste the flavors offered by the local restaurants of the region.
• Explore sights.
• Visit beaches.
• Look for and get to know people who might have known your grandfather, your grandmother or your parents.
• Choose to have fun in places that were made for this purpose.
• Explore local markets.
• Support local businesses, because without them your destination would not have been the same.
• Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the culture of a country; you will not find this inside your accommodation.
• Enjoy all the experiences that your destination offers and fill your luggage with memories and, perhaps, new friendships.

Vacations are a means to create images, memories, love stories, friendships, pleasure, relaxation, tastes and flavors among many other things.

Choose to experience these and add meaning to your vacations.

Advice with much love faliraki.com.