City Competition and Urban Marketing: The Case of Tourism Industry in Athens

This paper is concerned with the development of urban tourism in the area of Greater Athens. Porter’s “competitive advantage” theory presents the elements which determine the success of an industry in an interactive environment where competition acts as the engine of growth. The paper presents the basic aspects of the development of tourism in Greece and in the area of Athens together with the main weaknesses of the sector. This will be followed by suggestions on the directions the sector can seek for further improvement, exploiting the advantages generated by the 2004 Olympic Games. As a guide, the theoretical frames and examples of the policy applied in Barcelona will be used.