Santorini Hoteliers Call for Decade-Long Strategy for Greek Tourism

Hellenic Hoteliers Federation Yannis Hatzis speaking during the annual meeting of hotel association presidents, held on the sidelines of the Philoxenia tourism exhibition in Thessaloniki.

The Santorini Hoteliers Association has highlighted the need for a comprehensive ten-year strategy to bolster Greek tourism, with a focus on tailoring specific destinations to target markets.

The call was made during the recent 39th Philoxenia tourism exhibition in Thessaloniki, where hoteliers expressed growing concerns about the future of Greece’s hospitality sector.

Hoteliers: Greek hospitality faces challenges

Santorini Hoteliers Association President Antonis Pagonis.

During the annual meeting of hotel association presidents, organized by the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation, industry leaders addressed several pressing issues, including heavy taxation, rising employment costs, labor shortages, the unregulated expansion of short-term rentals, and a lack of strategic planning.

Santorini Hoteliers Association President Antonis Pagonis called for government action, stressing the need for long-term policies that would promote destinations strategically.

He also advocated for the adoption of digital work cards to streamline employment processes, while questioning how the industry would address chronic staffing shortages.

Pagonis also highlighted discrepancies in tax reporting, noting a gap exceeding 1.2 billion euros between the taxes attributed to short-term rentals by digital platforms and figures reported by Greece’s Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE).

Santorini Hoteliers Association at WTM 2024 London

Santorini Hoteliers Association President Antonis Pagonis at WTM London 2024.

Earlier this month, the Santorini Hoteliers Association participated in the World Travel Market (WTM) 2024 tourism exhibition in London during which Santorini hoteliers met with tour operators and airline officials.

According to Pagonis, an effort is being made for Santorini to become again the top destination as it has been in the past.

“We, in Santorini are aware of our problems and we are trying to solve them, with prices also becoming more competitive and affordable for everyone,” he said, adding that he’s rather optimistic for the summer of 2025, based on the demand exhibited and on pre-booking flows.