A special event in honor of the people who worked in Corfu during the decade 1975–1985 and contributed to the establishment of the island as a leading international tourist destination was recently held at the Aeolos Beach Hotel in Corfu on the occasion of World Tourism Day.
The event was co-organized by the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands and the Voulgaris Hotel Group and was dedicated to the reps of the then pioneer Thomson Holidays, and the executives of local travel agencies and hotels. Over 50 people from Britain and Greece attended, a 50-year reunion, while representatives of the political and business world of Corfu also participated.
The 1970s were a landmark decade for Corfu tourism. According to available data, arrivals to the island, which in 1973 were estimated at around 170,000 visitors, had exceeded 650,000 by 1985. The number of hotels and accommodation facilities almost tripled during the same period, while tourism began to attract a workforce not only from the rest of Greece but also from abroad.
The Mayor of Central Corfu and the Diapontian Islands, Stefanos Poulimenos, in his greeting stressed that: “Tourism has brought wealth to Corfu, creating new prospects and opportunities for its residents. Today the numbers are many times greater, and we are called upon to adapt public infrastructure to modern reality and serve the goal of sustainable transition. Several hotel units already have excellent performance in sustainability issues. It is time for everyone, public and private sectors, to follow suit.”
The period 1975–1985 was a time of “exploration”, with minimal infrastructure and without the know-how of today. Despite the difficulties, those who served tourism at that time did so with passion, imagination and teamwork, always maintaining the feeling that tourism is a celebration.
The Deputy Mayor for Sustainable Tourism Development and Public Relations, Spyros Halikiopoulos, noted: “The people we are honoring today show us what adaptability and love for tourism mean. Today we may have infrastructure and resources that were lacking back then, but we are facing new challenges. We need the same passion and the same authentic hospitality to maintain the identity of our tourism.”
During that decade, major international tour operators, such as Thomson, systematically invested in Corfu, creating the strong distribution channels that established the island as a favorite destination of the British and German markets. These foundations gave Corfu the resilience that it continues to demonstrate even in times of crisis.
The President of the Association of Corfu Travel Agents (AOCTA), Dimitris Diavatis, underlined: “The professionals we are honoring tonight have set the bar high and made Corfu one of the top tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. Thanks to their services and dedication, our island has earned the trust of millions of visitors.”
The idea for organizing the reunion belongs to John Wade, a veteran of the era, who addressed the Deputy Mayor, Spyros Halikiopoulos, and Mr. Charalambos Voulgaris, head of the Voulgaris Hotel Group. Both responded immediately, the former by institutionally supporting the organization and the latter by hosting the event, recognizing the importance of an event that brings back memories from the era when the first pages of modern tourism were written in Corfu.
Mr. Voulgaris stated: “This reunion is dedicated to those who built the foundations of Corfu’s tourism profile. John Wade represents the spirit of that era: passion for tourism, love for partners, hospitality without limits. These values guide us even today.”
This event was not just a memorial meeting, but a reminder that modern Corfu tourism was built with vision, dedication and collectivity. The pioneers of that period showed the way and continue to be a source of inspiration for today’s and future generations.
