Ithaca bets on Odysseus tourism boom

Standing on a ferry waiting to dock on the Greek island of Ithaca, Giorgia Ongarato eagerly discussed the “Odyssey”, the epic poem that inspired Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film.
The Italian lawyer said visiting Ithaca, widely believed to be the home of Odysseus in Homer’s poem, had long been her dream.
“I studied Greek when I was a child, and I studied the Odyssey,” said the 50-year-old, wearing a T-shirt bearing the poem’s title in ancient Greek.
While the film did not introduce her to the hero’s journey home from the Trojan War, she described it as “wonderful”.
Businesses and officials on Ithaca hope the film will encourage more visitors to follow in her footsteps.
Located in the Ionian Sea off mainland Greece’s western coast, Ithaca lies far from the country’s main tourist hubs. Despite its clear waters, spectacular bays and rugged interior covered with olive and cypress trees, it has never been a regular stop for international travellers.
The film has generated excitement but also disappointment. Although several Greek locations were used, no scenes were filmed on Ithaca.
The island, home to around 3,000 people, has hosted two open-air screenings since the film’s worldwide release on July 16.
Xhimi Xoxha, who runs a restaurant in the capital, Vathi, said the film was already “generating publicity for the island”.
Mayor Dionysis Stanitsas agreed the publicity had been “tremendous” but regretted that Ithaca did not appear.
“We had reached out to the production team and asked that some scenes be filmed here on the island,” he said. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t feasible.”
The island was already fully booked for the current season when the film was released, but Stanitsas expects demand to rise next year.
“As more people see it, they will begin planning trips to visit the island,” he said.
Visitors will not find a palace belonging to Odysseus or a major archaeological site confirming the Homeric hero’s existence. Nevertheless, reminders of Ithaca’s literary heritage are everywhere.
Statues of Odysseus and Homer stand in village squares and outside the town hall. Boats in the port bear names such as Telemachus and Calypso, while shops sell busts of Homer and Penelope, T-shirts depicting the Cyclops Polyphemus and ornaments featuring the Trojan Horse.
Nearby, holidaymakers relax beneath parasols at Dexia beach, where legend says Odysseus landed after years of voyaging.
Archaeologist Spyros Couvaras expects an increase in visitors seeking more than beaches. The “driving force” behind the renewed interest is undoubtedly the movie, he said.
“But behind Nolan’s film stands Homer.”— AFP