Greek Tourism Minister Says Swedish Ad Is “In Bad Taste”

Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said she was “displeased” over an advertisement for a Swedish theme park that shows a crying boy next the slogan: “Some children are forced to go to Crete in summer.”

“We consider this advertisement unfortunate and a campaign of bad taste,” Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said on Wednesday, 24 April, in regards to an advertisement for a theme park in the Swedish city of Gothenburg that is using Crete in a negative way to attract customers.

The advertisement portrays a crying boy next to a slogan that reads “Some children are forced to go to Crete in summer.” Mrs. Kefalogianni said she was “displeased” over the incident and that the Greek Embassy in Stockholm has been contacted over the campaign.

“Greece has a very good image in Sweden. Thousands of Swedes visit our country each year,” she said.

The tourism minister was informed of the advertisement while on an official visit to Stockholm to further strengthen tourist traffic from Sweden.