Ftima Madrid

WRITING 2
Mamma Mia is a British-American-Swedish musical romantic comedy film of
Hollywood and Universal Studios, based on the songs of Successful pop group
ABBA. It was filmed in Greek islands such as Skopelos, Skiathos and Damouhari
Pelion but mainly took place in Skopelos.
Skopelos is an island in the Aegean Sea to the east of Athens. Its very small,
there are only 4.696 residents and they werent prepared for the huge increase
in tourists suffered from the last years.

Over the last years, in Skopelos has risen up a public interest in discovering the
island where Mamma mia was filmed. Some tourists want to get married there,
others want to have parties in their own private bay and others just want to dance on
the beach like actors did in the film. It is called Mamma Mia effect.
On the one hand that effect has been positive because Greece is a country that
whose tourist-dependent economy had been hard hit by violent anti-government
protests. Furthermore, the film has pepped up the mood of a nation that had become
wracked by money worries and pessimism.
On the other hand, the mayor of Skopelos, in the name of the island, complained
saying they didnt want their island to change because of a film. He pointed out
Skopelos had culture, architecture, ancient history and pride and they wanted the
island to remain the same as it is used to be.

To sum up, from my point of view Skopelos should narrow the mass tourism
down in order to preserve the environment and the heritage that already had
before filming the movie. They may focus on a specific tourist profile like upper-
middle class matrimonies who are the ones who usually spend more money.
Despite the fact, nowadays Skopelos can be reached only by a choppy 50-
minute ferry ride from the airport in Skiathos, so in my opinion means of
transport to access to the island should be improved.