Athens’ Hotels See Improved Figures For October

Hotel occupancy in October 2010 may have dropped 4.4 percent, compared with the same month in 2009, but it was considered an improve­ment as in September 2010 the hotel room occupancy rate was down 9.2 percent, according to the Athens-Attica Hotel Association.

However, the association reported an 11 percent decline in revenue compared with October 2009 (in September 2010 revenue was down 9.2 percent).

According to the association, the limited decline in hotel occupancy for October 2010 was mainly due to the drop in hotel prices and the celebrations for the 2,500 years of the battle of Marathon and the 28th Athens Classic Marathon during 29-30 October.

“Similar large-scale events are necessary to boost the reputation of the destination and hotel bookings in Athens,” the association said.

In regards to international competition, according to a recent survey of GBR Consulting, Athens-Attica continued to show the lowest occupancy (61.1 percent for the first 10 months of 2010), along with the fourth cheapest average price per room (106.83 euros) and the third lowest revenue per available room (65.27 euros) in Europe.

“To reverse the situation the association is expecting a lot from the Athens Every Week program announced by the Culture and Tourism Ministry,” the association concluded.