Alexandros Vassilikos,
President of Hellenic Chamber of Hotels
"The Greek tourism product is resilient and attractive,
but responsibility and vigilance are required"
Editor Margarita Manousou
Greece continues to be among the top choices in the global tourism market. After the "rebound" of 22 we had a good continuation of this season, which proves the resilience and the attractiveness of Greek tourism.
We are going through a period of challenges, responsibility and vigilance are required
Nevertheless, we should not underestimate that we are going through a period of great uncertainties and challenges. Tourism is a sensitive product and is easily affected by fluctuations in the economic climate. The climate threat, the ongoing war within Europe itself, the escalating energy costs for businesses and households, and the constant inflationary pressure on European economies, make up a puzzle of difficulties that require responsibility and vigilance.
Designing a flexible, green and smart product is essential
As much as it is self-evident that we cannot control world events, it must become self-evident to all that we must constantly strive to give the right answers to the pressing demands of the times. When the world is changing dramatically we need a targeted path towards a tourism model that is flexible, green, smart and able to adapt to difficulties. It is imperative for Greek tourism to plan for tomorrow and not to be nostalgic for yesterday.
Achieving sustainability and goals requires digital transformation
Starting from the hotel itself, digital transformation is crucial in order to achieve its strategic business objectives and to create applications that contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals, energy savings, lower ecological footprint in the course of the green transition of Greek tourism. That is why we are extremely proud at the hotel for the Capsule T Acceleration Programme that brings the hotel closer to young entrepreneurship and new technology start-ups, having been awarded as the best acceleration programme in Southern Europe.
Infrastructure is the key to the future of tourism
Infrastructure is also key to the country's tourism future. Longer seasons, a more balanced geographical distribution of tourist flows and tourism 365 days a year require investments in infrastructure, in specific destinations and in specific thematic markets, whether it is digital nomads, health tourism, conference tourism, etc. At the same time, a serious strengthening of the civil protection infrastructure is needed as it turns out that natural disasters will become more frequent from now on due to climate change. Preparation and prevention are the features that will make the difference.
The future of the Greek tourism product requires strengthening its strengths and addressing its weaknesses
Taking off our capabilities requires a "flight plan". A long-term strategy for tourism, with the participation of the State, the local authorities and all stakeholders, in order to seize the opportunities but also to identify the major threats that exist. Methodically and in an organized manner, we should focus on strengthening our advantages and addressing our weaknesses, outside the zone of the convenient habits of the past but with a clear view to the future of sustainable hospitality, in destinations with quality of life for residents and visitors.