Is Xenios Zeus Still Alive? Destination Image of Athens in the Years of Recession

This study examines the evolution of the destination image of Athens from 2005 to 2015, in order to exploit the impact of the recent economic recession on individual perceptions. It uses advanced web content mining to analyze TripAdvisor messages that were posted in Athens Travel Forum. The findings show that the image of Athens has remained positive, facing a significant, but short-term, shift during the first years of the crisis. The findings also reveal that the destination image of Athens is only partially shared by individuals residing inside and outside Greece, and that non-Greek residents have more favorable perceptions toward the destination. The study expands understanding on the destination image literature by demonstrating the normative nature of destination images, which—once established—can be particularly resistant to change, even during sustained crises.