The city of Athens, Greece has partnered with Google to launch an initiative that will promote the city as a tourism destination throughout the year. The initiative – “Athens. The city is the museum” – uses Augmented Reality (AR) to provide an in-depth look into the city. The project is part of a sustainable tourism development strategy between the Greek Ministry of Tourism and Google, that began in April 2022.
The Executive Creative Director for Google Creative Lab CEE, Steve Vranakis, explained that it “is the creative result of our joint effort to see Athens from a different perspective and a more environmentally friendly outlook: the image of a modern and constantly evolving city, with unique, unexplored sides and with the authentic stories of its inhabitants.”
“Athens. The city is the museum” is available for free on athens.withgoogle.com or as an app. It aims to present the Greek capital as a multi-faceted living museum, including its street art, music, architecture, and diverse cuisines. Using the app, people can select different walking routes with pins showing locations of interest, similar to Google Maps. Each stop is enhanced by its link to audio content which provides background and information about the locations. The first walk to be launched, Audio walk 1, has a walking distance of 2.4 kilometers around Omonoia Square, one of the oldest squares in the city.
“Athens is not only its impressive antiquities and its wonderful museums. The whole city is a unique, living, open, interactive, huge museum that offers hundreds of “scenes”, “exhibits” and experiences to its visitors all year round” said the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis. “This is Athens, the official city guide, brings together all the “tools” that help visitors and all of us, to see, taste, experience the city through unique, real and meaningful experiences.”