Andreas A. Andreadis

President,
Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers

Philoxenia 2006 greeting.

The general impression today is that tourism on an international level is exceptionally dynamic and filled with promise. This sector’s development rate has risen steadily over the past three years and it is expected that in the next years, it will be further strengthened, particularly, as the large emerging markets in Asia, such as China and India, consolidate their presence on the international market.

In this rapidly changing environment, however, competition between traditional destinations intensifies and escalates. The appearance of new “players” who are aggressively claiming a share of the market is driving the reorganization of forces and innovative strategies, whose dominant characteristics are specialization, quality, value for money, and more effective market penetration.

For Greek tourism, the current tourism period is progressing satisfactorily and the news is encouraging. However, instead of resting assured, all those involved must work steadily to increase the rate of development in all of the dimensions of tourism.

This requires specialization, a variety of products and services, ending seasonality, improving business skills, making new investments and a policy that dynamically promotes and communicates. Brave reforms are also needed to free the market and rally its healthy forces.

Small and mid-sized hotel businesses must acquire the know-how and resources to help them face the market and competition, to ensure their sustainability, the competitive character of services and products offered, the advantages of the traditional family-style hotel, to search for new markets and new customers.

Thus, we will strengthen Greek tourism and the hotel sector, in particular, one that offers the most to the economy and the country.