This paper examines the presentation of notions of nationality within tourism advertising for the World Heritage Sites by the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO). Heritage tourism is related to historical processes and present day judgements and encompasses issues of identity and political gains. Based on qualitative research, the empirical work succeeds in making a practical and theoretical contribution to the way a bureaucratic state organisation presents the 'nationness' of the state by interpreting various sites and approaching them in a symbolic way. This is an issue that has implications on the way tourism policies legitimise their actions towards such promotions. It reflects the dependence of the bureaucratic industry of tourism on symbols rather than on rationality according to the principles of bureaucracy.