Report: Athens is a ‘Must-see’ Destination but with ‘Weaknesses’

The Greek capital city of Athens is in fact a “must see” destination, but lags behind its competitor European cities due to “inherent weaknesses”, said the main conclusion of a report by GBR Consulting.

Presented during the 53rd annual general assembly of the Athens-Attica and Argosaronic Hotel Association on Wednesday, the 19th survey on guest satisfaction and performance of the city’s hotels showed that 56 percent of visitors chose Athens this year for its archaeological sites and cultural interest, and were found to be “very satisfied” with a score of 9.1 out of 10.

Moreover, a record number of visitors was recorded at the Acropolis this year and 39 percent chose to visit the Greek capital because it is considered a “must-see” destination.

In addition, guests appeared “very satisfied” with the city’s hotel facilities giving them a score of 8.8. The quality / price ratio is 8.4 out of 10.

Conducted by GBR Consulting, the survey’s main conclusion was that Athens is in fact a “must see” destination, but lags behind its competitor European cities due to its “inherent weaknesses”.

Some areas in Athens have ‘serious problems’

Athens-Attica and Argosaronic Hotel Association President Labrini Karanasiou-Zoulovits speaking during the association’s 53rd annual general assembly on Thursday.

Presenting the survey’s findings, GBR Consulting Managing Consultant Stefan Merkenhof said that the satisfaction rates of visitors regarding safety, the condition of the squares and sidewalks and public cleanliness, have improved in recent years.

The GBR satisfaction index showed that the city’s score for safety was 7.4 out of 10 while the cleanliness score was 6.4. In terms of accessibility to tourist spots, Athens scored 6.6 and regarding the condition of its sidewalks and squares, the Greek capital saw a 6.9 score.

“However, these ratings are an average and depend to a very large extent on where each hotel is located,” he said, adding that some areas in the center of Athens have “serious problems” that show that more needs to be done.

Commenting on the survey, the association’s president, Labrini Karanasiou-Zoulovits, proposed the creation of a body to manage the city’s “inherent weaknesses” and coordinate or promote the required projects for its overall upgrade.

On his part, the association’s secretary general, Evgenios Vassilikos, said the time has come to decide on the tourism development strategy for the city and hospitality and stressed that infrastructure in the city center must be improved to facilitate tourists.

November 2023 occupancy down 2%

Presenting the latest data on the performance of hotels in Athens-Attica, Merkenhof said that hotel occupancy is following the trend of 2019.

According to the data, occupancy in November decreased by 2 percent compared to 2019, in an environment of increased demand and increased supply. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) increased significantly in an environment of high inflation. Overall, Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) increased by 27 percent based on data through November compared to 2019.

In terms of rival cities in the Mediterranean, Merkenhof said that Athens ranked well in occupancy compared to its competitors and is close in terms of ADR to Istanbul and Madrid, but much cheaper than Barcelona and Rome.

Attica is home to 697 hotels

According to the latest data (October 2023) of the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts (ITEP), hotels in the Attica Region have increased to 697 units and 34,686 rooms. The increase mainly concerns 4- and 5-star hotels. Most of the new hotel units are located in the central area of Athens, where there are 294 hotels offering 18,254 rooms.

Eighty-two percent of Attica’s 5-star hotels are part of a local, national and/or international chain. Forty percent of Attica’s 4-star hotels are part of a brand.

Attica currently has 18 international hotel chains with 34 brands.

Regarding short-term rentals, in the last 13 years the market has grown incrementally in 13 years to more than 14,000 active units in the center alone, (compared to 18,000 hotel rooms in the center).