HOTREC Rolls Out #TogetherForHospitality Campaign to Support Tourism Recovery

HOTREC, the European umbrella association of hotels, restaurants and cafés, has launched a digital awareness campaign, aiming to support businesses and employees in the travel and tourism sector.

Running on social media under the #TogetherForHospitality hashtag, the campaign calls on EU and national policymakers, tourism and hospitality stakeholders to support the restart of the travel and tourism sector ahead of the summer season.

According to HOTREC, helping hospitality to recover and secure a better future isn’t just crucial for the economy. It is also the only way for people to protect their way of life.

“A better future for hospitality is a better future for all,” the association said.

The campaign promotes the sector’s need for:

Coordination – The coordination of travel restrictions and testing protocols on a European level is considered necessary in order to ensure survival and a solid base for the industry’s recovery

Funding – Adequate and continued funding is essential for the sector to survive. Hospitality establishments need to know that, when they reopen, it will be for good

Healthy and safe environment – When hospitality establishments reopen, respecting all health and safety protocols will be key to ensure the wellbeing of both employees and guests

Hospitality supply chain – Many factors of the hospitality supply chain are also facing severe hardships. HOTREC calls for the creation of a European Hospitality Task Force.

As part of the campaign, social media posts under the #TogetherForHospitality will run through to June 2021.

Furthermore, HOTREC operates a webpage dedicated to the campaign at www.hotrec.eu/campaign-on-recovery.

Greek hotel chamber supports HOTREC campaign

Representing Greece’s hospitality sector, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH), a HOTREC member, will contribute to the campaign by delivering the #TogetherForHospitality message on social media.

The launch of the campaign coincided with the conclusion of HCH’s #filoxeniaMoU month-long campaign on March 31, that was dedicated to the importance of hospitality in restoring the tourism industry in the aftermath of Covid-19.

The President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels Alexandros Vassilikos. Photo: GTP

“HOTREC’s  initiative underlines the extreme impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the hospitality sector in Europe – the first tourism destination worldwide. It is a historic moment and a great responsibility to help the sector overcome this crisis. We all support this initiative through our national organizations and will convey the message to the sector’s companies and organizations that have already offered their support during our national campaign,” HCH President Alexandros Vassilikos told GTP Headlines.

#filoxeniaMoU(“My Hospitality”) ran through March and focused on three key areas: dialogue with stakeholders on the importance of hospitality in the economy, employment, regional development and social cohesion; a digital campaign to inform and raise public awareness about the impact of hospitality on daily life; and an online discussion with institutional representatives and experts about the “next day” and the leading role of hospitality in Greece’s post-Covid recovery.