Athens to Set Up Observatory for Tourism

Athens, Attica Photo credit: Region of Attica

A tourism observatory will be set up in Athens to provide municipal authorities with necessary information and data to boost tourism growth in the Greek capital.

Tourism observatories offer access to a broad collection of information, data and analysis on current trends in the tourism sector.

The announcement was made by Athens Development & Destinations Management Agency (ADDMA) CEO Vangelis Vlachos during the Delphi Economic Forum 2020, which is currently taking place online.

ADDMA CEO Vangelis Vlachos

According to Vlachos, Athens’ tourism observatory will be a platform for the collection of information and data on the preferences, choices and commercial habits of individual travelers. After collecting the information, the observatory will examine its footprint on the national economy and include it in its policy for the upgrade of the city’s tourism product.

“Data is an excellent ally for technology and the tourism sector… After processing, data can contribute to the development of a strategy for tourism and the management of the destination,” he said during the event.

ADDMA has already been working with Mastercard for the collection of tourism data. Furthermore, the two companies have partnered to offer priceless experiences to travelers through the “Stay in Athens” initiative.

Vangelis Vlachos (left) participated in a panel discussion titled, “Techonolgy and data: Helping tourism make headway after the standstill”, along with Harry Theoharis, Minister of Tourism; Maria Founta, Country Marketing Manager Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Google; Aspa Palimeri, Country Manager, Greece, Cyprus and Malta, Mastercard; and Maria Theofanopoulou, Owner, Greek Travel Pages.

Congress tourism

The observatory is also expected to support the municipality’s efforts to restart tourism and MICE in the Greek capital in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ADDMA has launched a collaboration with the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers (HAPCO) to assess the impact of the coronavirus crisis on Athens’ congress tourism.

“Congress tourism has been severely affected by the pandemic and must be supported. We will assess the impact and collect the data in order to develop a strategy,” Vlachos said, adding that the tourism observatory’s mission will be to develop indicators on an annual basis.

Athens’ tourism campaign

Meanwhile, the Municipality of Athens plans to boost tourism in the Greek capital through a new campaign that will include roadshows, fam trips and participation in international exhibitions.

In efforts to maintain the interest of travelers for the Greek capital during the Covid-19 lockdown, the municipality launched a digital promo campaign that included 6 podcasts titled “We’ll Always Have Athens” featuring popular international personalities including English actor Stephen Fry and fashion designer Mary Katrantzou.

Furthermore, Vlachos announced that an Athens Film Office has been set up to attract foreign film productions to the Greek capital and operate as a one-stop-shop for crews in search of filming locations.

The 5th Delphi Economic Forum 2020 will conclude tonight.