Corfu to climb up greasy pole

Anybody about to embark on Greek holiday jokes should stop right now. No mention of the long-stay accommodation at Athens airport, the image of its islands as Meccas for Club 18-30 holidaymakers or havens for Shirley Valentines.

Corfu – the most celebrated of the Greek islands – is planning to go upmarket.

The newly-formed Corfu Tourism Promotion Board acknowledges that the island of sun, sea and retsina has had its problems. It is now hoping to attract travellers with deeper pockets and is putting 9m behind a five-year project to smarten up the centre of historic Corfu Town.

So instead of bargain-basement singles holidays, the island, which has an extra airport terminal and a new port opening next year to accommodate cruise ships, is hoping to position itself as a first choice for big spenders.

One of the more difficult global marketing challenges around at the moment.