Hotel Occupancy Rates Drop

November 2004 saw a considerable decline in occupancy at Athens hotels of all categories, compared with the same month in 2003, according to the Attica Hotel Association. In some categories, the drop exceeds 25 percent. Five-star hotel occupancy was at 39.42 percent from 45.44 percent in November 2003, four-star hotels had 39.02 percent from 55.03 percent, three-star ones had 35.89 percent from 45.35 percent and two-star hotels had 30.42 percent occupancy from 40.99 percent.

The association suggests that in Attica the decline is the effect of the lack of any kind of program to develop and take advantage of the Athens Olympics in the post-Olympic period.

The association calls for the development of alternative forms of tourism and the differentiation and specialization of tourism products of Attica from those of the rest of the country. Our proposals, it said in an announcement, center on making Athens a weekend city break and conference destination. They also urged for a reduction in airport taxes.

Separately, following a meeting with Deputy Tourism Minister Anastassios Liaskos, the Hellenic Federation of Tourism Enterprises said it asked for the speeding up of the country’s global promotion campaign and for the new stadiums to open to visitors, after being seen by billions during the Olympics.

The federation also asked Mr Liaskos to keep his promise to arrange for the already delayed subsidy for tour buses to be disbursed.