Hotel Chamber Predicts Another Difficult Year

This year’s arrivals are expected at the same level of 2009 while revenues are expected to be slightly down once again, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels Yiorgos Tsakiris said at a recent press conference.

Greek tourism revenue from foreign visitors dropped some 10 percent in 2009 to 10.4 billion euros due to the global economic crisis.

“Last year was a very difficult year where we lost more capital than we lost visitors,” Mr. Tsakiris stressed.

Konstantinos Leventis, vice president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (second from left), appealed for the media to stop “scaring” potential tourists in regards to high hotel prices as it results to “negative psychology.”

The chamber’s president expressed his belief that the tourism industry could substantially support Greece’s exit from the economic crisis.

“Tourism can lead the economy out of the tunnel but first the State must prove that it fully believes tourism’s importance on the national economy,” Mr. Tsakiris said.

He then mentioned a series of contradictions made by the state in regards to Greek tourism.

“It’s not possible that a country that has sun 300 days a year to operate only four golf courses and it’s also not possible that a country with some 3,500 islands continues to block foreign cruise ships due to cabotage restrictions,” the president pointed out.

Mr. Tsakiris underlined that if cabotage was lifted, annual revenues have the potential to exceed one billion euros.

The chamber’s president also wondered how it was possible that Athens, which organized the 2004 Olympic Games, has remained the only capital of the Eurozone that lacks an international conference center.

In an effort to boost arrivals in Athens, the president called on all those involved in the tourism sector to form an “alliance” and fight for the reversal of Greece’s negative image.

The chamber’s president said that efforts must be made for the Greek capital’s cleanliness, while services (namely public transport and taxis) also must improve.

In regards to the opening hours of museums, Mr. Tsakiris said that once again there is no consideration for the visitor as the timetable 8:30am-3pm serves no one.

Mr. Tsakiris also touched the issue of safety in the Athens center.

“The fact that at every metro station we hear the Greek/English announcement ‘passengers are requested to mind their personal belongings’ is a shame… I find it decadence,” he said.

In regards to promotion Mr. Tsakiris underlined the importance of online advertising and called for the Greek National Tourism Organization to establish an in-house department of advertizing, with an advertizing manager, rather then assign the country’s promotion to private corporations.

During the press conference, Mr. Tsakiris analyzed the priorities set by the chamber’s new leadership, which include raising awareness in society in regards to the tourism sector.

“Unfortunately we never managed to convince society of our importance to the economy… Our aim is to explain and persuade just exactly how important tourism activity is for the country’s economic development, for employment and for its own potential,” Mr. Tsakiris said.

The chamber added that it intends to emphasize on the expansion of digital media technology within the industry, focus on the standardization and branding of hotel services, and include environmental issues within its actions.