Greek Hoteliers Send Out an SOS Due to Impact of Covid-19

Greek hoteliers, owners of mainly small family-run units in mountainous areas, recently called for actions to be carried out for their businesses to survive the financial slowdown caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

“The hotels of mountainous Greece are sending out an SOS for their survival,” the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (POX) said in a statement.

Taking part in a teleconference of the federation, 17 presidents of local hotel associations that represent businesses in popular mountainous areas in Greece, which each year usually welcome visitors for winter and alternative tourism activities, said their turnover for 2020 was at zero levels since March.

Highlighting that hotels in mountainous areas differ from city hotels, the professionals stressed the need for their inclusion in old and new financial support programs.

“Ensuring the necessary liquidity is of great importance for the hoteliers in order for them to meet their financial obligations, as well as for their businesses to stay afloat,” the federation said.

Hoteliers request measures

During the teleconference, the hoteliers stressed they would need incentives with subsidies of up to 80 percent in order to proceed with energy upgrades of their units in order to prepare for the “day after” Covid-19, once tourism begins to recover from the pandemic’s second wave.

Moreover, they underlined the need of a national strategic plan structured and focused exclusively on mainland Greece, mountain tourism and outdoor activities, in order to “create” an attractive and competitive product that will place their areas on the global tourism map.

In addition, the professionals reiterated their request for the establishment of an annual winter school holiday, dubbed “White Week”, which as they said would boost local economies and also bring the younger generation in contact with Greece’s special interest tourism forms.