Revenue Decrease For Athens-Attica Hotels

The Athens-Attica Hotel Association believes that what is needed at the current time is an on-schedule planning for next year’s Greek tourism promotion by the state and tourism businesses.

The revenue of Athens-Attica hotels fell some 20 percent from last year’s January-May period as a result of a 16.6 percent drop in the average hotel occupancy rate and 5.1 percent in the average price per room, according to the latest study of GBR Consulting.

Occupancy as a total figure stood at 55.4 percent while the average price per room stood at 110.47 euros.

According to the study, there is no doubt that Athens has the worst occupancy rate among the eleven cities that represent the research sample and the fifth with the lowest price.

The Athens-Attica Hotel Association insists that the Greece’s capital city requires a targeted promotion of the destination as a complete “city break” product; the completion of procedures for the creation of the conference center in Faliro (Taekwando stadium), which would strengthen the convention destination product; and the lifting of the cabotage law for the effective support of Greek cruise.

The Athens-Attica Hotel Association said the rates of decline are likely to continue as the first six months of this year have passed and are now considered indicative of trends.

The association said that 2009 was expected to be a difficult year especially after the December 2008 riots and the sharp downgrading of Athens’ reputation as a destination.

The president of the association, Yiannis Retsos, recently told tourism journalists that the association has repeatedly called on government to step in and deal with the issue of crime in Athens center.

“A slight improvement of the problem was noticed mainly after the recent Euroelections,” Mr. Retsos said.

He added that police patrols have increased in the centers’ “problematic” neighborhoods.

In addition, the association said that the debate in regards to security issues mainly in the city center (immigration, various illegal activities, etc.) must produce substantial results before these negative aspects can be overcome through Greece’s promotional efforts.

The association insists that the situation requires a targeted promotion of the destination as a complete “city break” product; the completion of procedures for the creation of the conference center in Faliro (Taekwando stadium), which would strengthen the convention destination product; and the lifting of the cabotage law for the effective support of Greek cruise.

On the issue of the long-awaited transformation of the Taekwondo stadium in Faliro into a conference center, Mr. Retsos had told journalists that the association requests an explanation on “why, five years after the government announced the project, the issue is still pending.”

During his meeting with journalists, Mr. Retsos drew attention to the organization of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races’ 18th World Congress in Athens to take place on 28 to 30 October 2010.

The association’s president said that he is in close cooperation with the organizers for the hosting of the guests in Athens.

“This will be a major event with a massive attendance in Athens,” Mr. Retsos said. The 28th Athens Classic Marathon will be held on 31 October.

Athens will hold the the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races’ 18th World Congress in Athens  on 28 to 30 October 2010…This will be a major event with a massive attendance in Athens. (Yiannis Retsos, Athens-Attica Hotel Association)

He also commented on the new anti-smoking measures implemented since early last month.

He said that the ban has not raised too much concern as even before its implementation some 80 percent of hotel guests always requested non-smoking rooms.

“Generally, visitors tend not to smoke on the premises of the hotel, whether that’s the lobby, the reception area, the hallways or the restaurants,” he said.

In reply to a question in regards to the association’s relationship with the City of Athens, Mr. Retsos said that for years the relations of the two bodies were strained.

“But with the entrance of the Athens Tourism and Development Company into the tourist industry, our relations have improved,” he said.