Greek tourism officials to brand Ionian Islands as "Islands of Odysseus" at London travel fair
Greek tourism authorities are moving to capitalize on the global surge in interest in Homer’s *Odyssey* following the release of Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation, which has drawn nearly 500,000 cinema-goers in Switzerland alone since its mid-July debut, according to Pro Cinema figures .
In the Ionian Islands, regional officials proposed a temporary marketing campaign to brand the area as the “Islands of Odysseus” during the World Travel Market in London from Nov. 3 to 5. Savvas Koulouris, deputy regional governor, clarified that the label would appear only above the region’s booth for the three-day event, emphasizing it was a short-term promotional tactic tied to the film’s momentum. Koulouris denied any intention to permanently rename the Ionian Islands, stating the idea was solely to leverage the movie’s international visibility. The region allocated approximately €40,000 for its participation in the exhibition .
The film’s impact extends beyond tourism. Swiss bookshops report a sharp rise in demand for Homer’s *Odyssey* and related ancient literature. Payot, a western Swiss chain, recorded an 880% sales increase in 2026, following a 60% rise in 2025 and a 17% increase the prior year. Orell Füssli, a German-speaking Swiss bookseller, noted a clear uptick in sales across multiple editions, though it did not provide exact figures. The trend mirrors the U.K., where printed *Odyssey* sales surged 1,400% in the four weeks before July 25 compared to the same period in 2025, per Nielsen IQ data .
Politico Europe reported that Greece’s government and tourism officials are actively seeking to exploit the renewed interest in ancient Greek culture sparked by Nolan’s blockbuster . The phenomenon aligns with past examples, such as the *Harry Potter* and *The Count of Monte Cristo* film adaptations, which also drove book sales, according to Orell Füssli .
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«Νησιά του Οδυσσέα» τα Ιόνια για να αξιοποιηθεί τουριστικά η ταινία του Νόλαν; Ούτε για τρεις ημέρες, απάντησαν από την Ιθάκη Η ονομασία θα χρησιμοποιούνταν αποκλειστικά στο περίπτερο της Περιφέρειας στη World Travel Market του Λονδίνου – «Θέλαμε να αξιοποιήσουμε τη δυναμική της νέας ταινίας του Νόλαν, οτιδήποτε άλλο είναι ανακρίβειες», είπε ο αντιπεριφερειάρχης
protothema · about 2 hours ago
Odyssey film boosts book sales in Switzerland The hype surrounding The Odyssey is not confined to cinemas. Christopher Nolans film adaptation has also sparked growing interest in Homers work in Swiss bookshops. In German-speaking Switzerland, there has been an increase in demand for Homers Odyssey, bookshop Orell Füssli told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA. The increased demand is clearly noticeable in our branches and is spread across various editions and versions of the work. However, Orell Füssli was unable to quantify the exact percentage increase. They have observed not only a heightened interest in Homers Odyssey but also a general increase in demand for literature relating to antiquity. It is often the case that film adaptations boost demand for the original literary works. In the case of Christopher Nolans new film, such an effect was to be expected given the significant media attention, Orell Füssli added. The company had addressed the topic early on in the run-up to the films cinema release and prominently ...
swissinfo · about 2 hours ago
Atlântida Cine mantém-se cinema, diz Câmara de Cascais O Atlântida Cine não vai ser transformado em auditório multiusos, garante a Câmara de Cascais
observador · about 2 hours ago
Tourist authorities want to harness the revival of interest in ancient Greece created by Christopher Nolans blockbuster movie The Odyssey. 🔗 www.politico.eu/article/gree...
bluesky_Politico Europe · about 2 hours ago
Greeces government and tourism officials are determined not to squander the opportunities created by a resurgence of interest in everything Greek kindled by Christopher Nolans blockbuster movie version of Homers epic poem, the Odyssey. 🔗 www.politico.eu/article/gree...
bluesky_Politico Europe · about 2 hours ago