Trade Associations

The long awaited star system for Greek hotels may finally get off the ground later this year. The Hellenic Tourism Organization has called for an international advisor to assist in the implementation of hotel categorization through an international star system it has partially developed with the cooperation of the Greek hotel sector.

Hellenic Tourism Properties handed over some two billion drachmas to the Hellenic Tourism Organization (EOT) recently as the first payment for the organization’s tourism advertising campaigns abroad, which covers the majority of debt owed for same. As well, it’s now official: Parliament has just passed legislation whereby Greek casinos at Mont Parnes and Corfu will pay 30% of revenue directly to the organization to fund promotional campaigns abroad, and the Greek Festival.

Along with the privatization of its casinos, Hellenic Tourism Properties will privatize itself. The first step was taken last month with the sale of convertible privatization bonds, or pre-stock (prometoxa), worth 800 million euros (272.6 billion drachmas), which is about a 25% piece of the company.

A delegation from the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) met with Prime Minister Costas Simitis last month, at his request, where the tourism professionals expressed their belief that the government has failed to take tourism seriously.

Demetris Georgarakis, an electronic engineer with some 20 years experience in the airline sector (Olympic Airways) has been appointed to head the newly created tourism general secretariat, which is directly under the development ministry.

Owner of the Afantou Golf course on Rodos, Hellenic Tourism Properties, says it has completed studies for the development of the course and that before the beginning of August it will call for expressions of interest from the international community. It expects to have completed the lease of the property to the winning bid before the end of this year.

Travel and tourism is expected to generate 207 million jobs worldwide in 2001 with 53 million potential new jobs by 2011, probably outperforming all other economic sectors during this period, according to the latest report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Hellenic Tourism Properties called on the three consortiums that had bid for 10-year concession contracts for five state-run Athens beaches to improve their offers, both in the line of the lease fees and improvement works promised.

The Athens Skal Club called on top-level executives from the new Athens international airport to join members for the monthly luncheon and explain why the airport charges are so high. The club’s president, Makis Fokas, welcomed two executives and explained the problems the travel trade faces because of high prices.

Because government employees can not do their job properly and because government is unable or unwilling to give the proper incentive or education to rectify the matter, Greece loses billions of drachmas in precious tourism foreign exchange, says Yiannis Evangelou, president of the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourism Agents.