An interview with Georgios Tsakiris

An interview with Georgios Tsakiris

Mr Tsakiris is the President of Athens - Attica Hotels Association and he talks about the changes in Athens, the services offered by Athens Hotels and the future of Athenian tourism.

What changes were evident in Athens following the staging of the 2004 Olympic Games?

The new infrastructure and the new hotel product and their subsequent extensive promotion through the Games gave the tourism product of Attica a significant boost. However, its establishment in the world tourism market demands significant organisation on a production level, while at the same time it requires enrichment with other specialised forms of tourism, such as convention, cultural, trade exhibition and sports tourism, among others. The evolution of contemporary tourism trends has led most metropolitan destinations to build on their potential as city break destinations as part of a new direction in development. The entry of many destinations into the market has created intense competition among the city breaks destinations, especially in Europe. Most of the capitals and major cities of Europe are pursuing a share of this particular market, and many of them are seeing impressive results.

How would you assess tourist flow in Athens?

Until the beginning of December, the flow of tourists in Athens, despite the global crisis, was good. The December events and the extensive negative publicity of this destination, which resulted from exaggerated reports of the events by the international news media, caused a marked interruption in tourist flow in Attica, and thereby in the rest of the country as well.

What is the status of the conference infrastructure in Athens?

Without a doubt, the development and establishment of Athens as a conference and trade exhibition destination constitute an important goal and market for tourism in Attica. As for conference tourism, an increase in conventions taking place in Athens has been noted in recent years, particularly since the 2004 Olympics. Of course, this increase is far below the optimal levels that would render Athens a "mature" conference destination. One of the drawbacks we could identify is the absence of a metropolitan conference centre of international scope and standards, which would definitely put Greece on the large conference destination map. At the same time, the lack of a national policy to attract conference events is also an issue. The significant delay in transforming the Tae Kwon Do Olympic venue into a conference centre has been particularly costly for the tourism economy of the city as well as for individual businesses. Other than that, as far as conference infrastructure is concerned, Attica is served by its area hotels and the Athens Concert Hall.

What is the standard of service offered by Athens hotels?

We believe that since the Olympic Games, Attica has been providing its visitors the best hotel product in Europe. I refer to the entire range of hotels from 2* to 5*. The services provided are on a part with the physical facilities, as evidenced by the continual recognition of the organisational integrity of Athenian hotels.

Why do you believe that Athens is an exceptionally safe destination for its visitors?

Athens is undoubtedly a very safe destination. Naturally, as inhabitants of this city, we have a different point of view and conception as compared to visitors. This is an area that we have to work on as a country so that we can convince our visitors of the safety that we objectively do provide.

How does the economic crisis affect tourism worldwide and how is Athens responding to these conditions?

Times are definitely hard. The current economic crisis is unprecedented in our generation. As for its impact, we can only assess it and certainly not predict it. This uncertainty does not only affect Athens and Greece in general, but the entire global tourism market. The question is what magnitude of damage will each destination actually experience? We are already seeing our major competitor destinations recording losses - some greater and others smaller - in both occupancy and in prices. The hoteliers in Athens and Attica have already markedly reduced their prices to make their productive more attractive. This, along with immediate efforts to promote Athens announced by the government and the combined and targeted activities of the City of Athens, will help us limit the impact of the crisis.

What do you see for the future of Athenian tourism?

I personally believe a great deal in the potential of and outlook for tourism in Athens. All destinations have their good and mediocre periods. The potential of Attica on a cultural level, as well as a city breaks and lifestyle level, is unique. Dining and shopping in Athens have increased the recreational options for visitors to the city. Our tourism and hotel product is exceptional and in general I believe that if we improve our organisation and the image we project, things will be better.

In your opinion, why would a company choose Athens as a conference location?

As I mentioned earlier, Athens provides a broad range of interests for visitors, and in combination with the many options for recreation offered conference-goers during their stay in the city, it makes an ideal conference destination. Athens has many advantages: besides being a major metropolitan destination, it is also a coastal city that can combine and offer its visitors that kind of holiday as well.