Trade Associations

Greek tourism should not diverge from its target of keeping this year’s international arrivals above 16 million and revenue higher than 10 billion euros, the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) said last month during a press conference to the foreign media.

Consumers in the UK are choosing alternative destinations for holiday this year as a result of the constant negative publicity focused on Greece (which consumers see as not just Athens but the islands too), according to an open letter sent to Greek officials last month by three UK travel industry federations.

“There are many Germans who are afraid to come to Greece,” Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Yeroulanos informed Greece’s head of state President Carolos Papoulias last month after his visit to the 46th ITB Berlin travel trade show in Germany.

Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister George Nikitiadis last month held a meeting with Izmir Chamber of Commerce chairman Ekrem Demirtas on the development of Greek-Turkish economic relations with a particular emphasis on business and tourism.

Greek tourism professionals were stunned last month when they were informed that the abolition of the Workers’ Housing Organization was included on an agreement of austerity measures demanded by Greece’s creditors in exchange for a new bailout loan.

“The slander against our country weighs heavily during this particularly sensitive period in which early bookings are in process for this year’s tourism season,” the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) said last month in regards to the violent street protests that took place on 12 February during the voting of an unpopular austerity bill demanded by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Greece was among destinations that members of the US Tour Operators Association (USTOA) plan to increase tours to this year, according to the association’s annual survey. The survey revealed forecasts for 2012 travel.

“Modern tourism has a very special character as firstly, it evolved from a hobby of the elite to a part of the everyday life of the population of most developed countries and secondly, tourism is a new and very dynamic part of the global economy both in terms of growth and its share in world trade (between 12 and 15 percent),” Seppo Aho, adjunct professor, director of development, faculty of social sciences, University of Lapland, said recently in Athens.

“Tour operators and travel agencies need to modernize their way of operation and provide high quality services and specialized products in a responsible and professional manner,” Yiorgos Telonis, president of Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) said in late January at the official launch of “EOS CODE,” the European Code of Practice on Environment Oriented Sustainability.

Destination Thessaloniki is preparing a dynamic promotion and marketing campaign for 2012 with a new business plan and brand strategy, according to the northern city’s mayor and president of the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization, Yiannis Boutaris.