Hospitality News

The Athens-Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association recently joined forces with the “We do local” initiative in an aim to upgrade the quality of the Greek capital’s tourism product.

Athens hotels have been seeing the numbers of their clientele drop since last fall through to February this year, according to the Athens-Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association.

Overtaxation and the sharing economy are taking a toll on small tourist enterprises with many going under, the president of the Confederation of Greek Entrepreneurs for Tourism Lodges (SETKE), Konstantinos Brentanos, recently said.

Those interested in renting out their properties, homes or flats in Greece on Airbnb must meet requirements as set out by the economy, finance and tourism ministries.

The Thessaloniki Hotels Association predicts an increase in last minute bookings to Greece this season but expresses concern regarding the impact of the refugee crisis on the destination.

“Travelife for Hotels & Accommodations” recently signed an agreement with the Greek “We do local” certificate, committing to closer partnership. The two certification schemes recognize the achievements of tourism businesses committed to working in a sustainable way by supporting local suppliers, communities and culture.

Greek hotel owners seem to be unable to pay back the loans they’ve taken out, according to Bank of Greece (BoG) deputy governor Theodore Mitrakos. Out of a total of 7.6 billion euros in loans granted to tourist accommodations, approximately half (49.8 percent) have been recorded as non-performing (NPL).

The Greek hospitality investment market seems to be in hibernation with at least 225 hotels currently on offer but no signs of interest from potential buyers, a PwC report found.

Hoteliers associations across Greece, including on the islands and at border regions, are ringing alarm bells, calling on the government to take immediate measures as bookings to these destinations have dropped by as much as 90 percent in some cases due to the ever-growing refugee influx.

Urging a united front on all issues involving the sector, the head of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) George Tsakiris made it clear that “tourism is an affair that affects us all” during the chamber’s 5th general assembly held recently at Athens’ Metropolitan Expo center.