“White Flowers” of the Aegean. Would Le Corbusier use the same expression today?

Abstract

The chapter focuses on the history of early and later development of Greek coastal tourism in its main expressions: A. coasts and beaches on the mainland and B. the kaleidoscopic clusters of islands in the Aegean sea and the beginning of cruise tourism. The antecedents and impact of early policies introduced by the State – appropriate legislation, introduction of a new culture, availability of human resources, communication – will be assessed. Its nature seems to have been influenced by its conditions of birth: Feelings of national liberation and social freedom, national emergencies, inadequate financial resources, eager entrepreneurship have initially led to a welcome small-scale development, which has soon been followed by global trends contributing to a non-stop process of growth based on high quantitative returns on the one hand and often on rather mixed qualitative results, on the other. Initial progress depended on necessity and the realization that ample natural resources were available for quick development and at low cost with scarce finance. Funds eventually became available as part of the Marshall Plan which gave an impetus to the national effort for recovery of a deeply wounded country/society in the aftermath of WWII and a vicious Civil War. New institutions founded parallel to direct State action had an important part to play in designing and financing the new initiatives suggested by foreign advisors and promoted with foreign investment and lending.