Yiorgos Tsakiris
President, Hellenic Chamber of Hotels
PHILOXENIA 2011 greeting.
For the past two years Greece, as a country and a nation, faces the greatest challenges of its modern history.
Greece is changing. Severe and big changes are taking place in the country, which in many cases have resulted to the display of exaggerated images and news about our country that have little to do with reality. Regardless of the images, Greece remains a fantastic tourism spot with very unique features, the same features that have established it as one of the leading tourism destinations worldwide.
This year has developed into a prime tourism season. Many people, more than ever, chose to spend their holidays in our country. Cruise ships increased their approaches to the Greek islands and ports by 20 percent. The level of satisfaction of visitors to our country remains very high. Prices of offered services are highly competitive and they fully meet the “value for money” demand of visitors.
The options of recreation, entertainment and relaxation, combined with the cultural heritage, gastronomy and natural beauty of our country, is a guarantee to our guests that they will experience a many-sided and extremely powerful variety of experiences. The country’s hotel infrastructure is continuously upgraded and ensures that our guests receive the necessary comfort during their stay.
Greece, despite the difficulties and problems it is facing in the financial sector, remains one of the most important and attractive tourism destinations, providing guests with security, a huge variety of activities and recreation in an environment of outstanding natural beauty enriched with superior facilities and infrastructure.