Trade Associations

As promised, the new government has created a Greek tourism ministry. The newly appointed minister, Dimitris Avramopoulos, and his deputy, Anastassios Liaskos, for the moment are the “guests” of Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas until appropriate tourism ministry offices are found.

During the recent annual general assembly of the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourism Agents, almost a dozen special guests took to the podium.Most of the speakers were representatives of the country’s political parties who, without exception, spoke on the importance of tourism to Greece’s general economy.

The enlargement of the European Union, with ten new members joining in May, will help create a “more complete and coherent European tourism industry, which should be recognized in the future European Constitution,” according to the World Tourism Organization.

The Greek Union of Air Travel Agencies (PETAGA) succeeded in winning a court case recently whereby travel agents are entitled to a minimum 7 percent commission on airline tickets sold.

Greece’s tourism professionals are not in the least optimistic about the future of the country’s main currency-earning industry thus crushing earlier hopes that 2004, being the country’s Olympic year, would provide the much-needed shot in the arm to the sector.

A lot has been said recently on the difficulties that face the Greek tourism market and whether or not tourism enterprises will manage to scrounge out a profit from business activities this year, the year of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. According to some recent surveys, most will do very well this year, or in their attempt to do so destroy the sector with high prices for their services.

Legislation before parliament foresees the creation of a tourism marketing firm, most likely under private management. According to the legislation, 51% of the firm’s capital will be held by the Hellenic Tourism Organization and the remaining 49% will be split among regional authorities and tourism profession associations.

Some 280 hotel managers from throughout Europe arrived in Athens recently to take part in the European Hotel Manager Association’s 31st general assembly. During the assembly participants heard in-depth reports on Europe’s hotel industry and its difficulties.

Just before the New Year’s holidays, Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos announced the reorganization of the National Tourism Council. He said he wanted the council to play a bigger role in shaping policy, and not merely act as an advisory body to the minister.

Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said Greece has begun a “communication blitz” for Greek tourism promotion abroad in 2004, planning to expand beyond Europe after January. Meanwhile, employees of the Hellenic Tourism Organization are meeting to decide on possible industrial action in protest against provisions in a draft bill scheduled to be tabled in Parliament. “We have been receiving plenty of assurances for years; our social insurance status remains unsettled since 1998 and now they are trying to introduce laws against our members,” a labor union official said, during the organization’s New Year’s party.