Soaring pine trees, irresistible meze, smiling locals raising glasses of wine, endless beaches, the sun-dappled streets of Molyvos – these are some of the stunning images captured in a new tourism video by Marketing Greece, which aims to touch the heart and imagination of the public and inspire people to make Lesvos their destination for the summer of 2017.

“Have you ever known a place that speaks to you?” a woman asks in the opening moments of the video titled “Lesvos, the Aegean symphony”.

Produced by Marketing Greece and funded by private donors, the video is an exceptional ode to the island and its history, humanity, culture and natural beauty. It captures everything about the destination which once made it so popular with tourists, before the refugee crisis impacted visitor numbers this year.

Exploiting Lesvos’ wealth of attractions, the film features images gathered from all over the island and uses a variety of techniques, including drone footage that sweeps over neoclassical buildings, numerous monasteries and ancient monuments, which bear witness to its long history. These blend with breathtaking shots of crystal-clear waters, coastal beauty, the warmth of the locals, gastronomic traditions, and the various ways in which the island’s nature can be experienced – from biking through forest trails to diving and water sports. Both a Greek and English version of the video have been created.

This latest campaign will accompany efforts made during 2016 for the promotion of Lesvos by Marketing Greece. For 2017, a multi-layered campaign has been planned via the platform of DiscoverGreece.com. The hope is that the three million annual visitors will help put Lesvos firmly back on the map in Britain, France, Germany, Turkey and Greece itself.

The General Manager of Marketing Greece, Joseph Parsalis, said: “The target of running this campaign in the first five months of 2017, the time when people book their vacations, guided us to the timely planning, design and implementation such as shooting and production of the film in the summer of 2016 on the island of Lesvos, which needs our support more than any other destination in Greece.”