New Faces: Dennis Fellidis, Sales Representative at Ask2Travel and Yachts Sailing

“New Faces” is a column by GTP that introduces the young professionals of the Greek tourism industry. In each column, the young Greek professionals refer to issues related to their profession, the travel & tourism sector and Greece as a destination.

Dennis Fellidis

“Hospitality is everything about the personal relation and communication with the people who visit our country, all the time. ”

Business: Ask2Travel, Yachts Sailing
Location: Athens

Born in Athens in 1991, Dennis Fellidis’ pre- and post-graduate studies have been about Tourism, Marketing & Sales. His working experience has always revolved around tourism, in the field of Sales and Marketing. Over the past years Dennis was a travel consultant at Ask2Travel until moving on to the position of Sales Representative of both Ask2Travel and Yachts Sailing. Twenty-four year old Dennis tells us that he sees a wonderful and profitable future for tourism.

• What are the things you like best about your job and how would you describe your hospitality and tourism management philosophy?

Those who work, directly or indirectly, in the Greek hospitality industry, are part of a general effort that extends even to our personal lives. Hospitality isn’t constrained in the lodging, transportation or food fields, not even in their combination. Hospitality is everything about the personal relation and communication with the people who visit our country, all the time. The tourism sector is extremely competitive and moves with a very rapid evolution pace, something that makes it interesting and exciting at the same time.

• Have you had to face any challenges in your career to get to where you are today?

What I always use to say that every day, all the time, there are serious challenges that you have to face — but all of them just make you better and bring you closer to your goal, so I have been lucky enough to have faced many challenges so far and by my estimation there are even more to be expected.

• In regards to hospitality, where do you think Greece needs to improve the most?

The Greek hospitality sector as a whole still has trouble getting on with the times, improving its services but also enhancing its marketing and sales by fully embracing the Internet as a means for both. While this is something obvious for the rest of the world, sadly enough the Internet as a means for marketing and most important sales, is still regarded as a novelty by the majority of the Greek hospitality stakeholders, being only partly utilized at best — thankfully though with some bright exceptions. So, I have to admit that I am proud of Greek tourism professionals,   as I consider them to be among the best in the world.

• Which is your region’s best kept “secret”? (In other words, what shouldn’t be a secret in your opinion and should be promoted more abroad?)

I come from the east region of Attica, Thymari, which is a place about 5 km away from our ancient Greek temple of Poseidon. So, my village is Thymari where I took my first steps, under the vigilant watch of my beloved grandparents. Thymari — as the whole Attica coast region — is a blessed piece of land with breathtaking changes in its beautiful unspoiled natural landscape: unique beaches, rocky ground, stone built tower-houses and the scent of thyme that fills your lungs. But its true secret lies in its people: honest and blatant, a trait we come across less and less often these days.

• If you could pass on a message to the hospitality industry about Greece, what would it be?

If I could pass a message to all the people who work in the hospitality industry, it would be for them to never forget that each and every one of them is part of a combined effort and a common goal. They should encourage collaborations, be more environmentally aware, make room for younger people and fresh ideas, give emphasis to online marketing, take better care of their destination, but, most of all, improve their offerings and services to their clients.

• What are your plans for the future?

We’re doing an excellent job at Ask2Travel and Yachts Sailing, and I’m really happy to be part of its team. We want to encourage Greek travel agents to take a more dynamic approach online in order to increase their direct bookings, enhance the traveler’s experiences and feature them. I’d say that we’re currently on the verge of a “technological revolution” in Greek tourism, the benefits of it we’ll be able to enjoy as a country in a few years. This is the direction we’re heading to and this is what leads our — and thus my — steps.

• If you didn’t work in the hospitality industry where would you be?

Now, that’s a hard question! I’d probably be playing professional basketball or be a sports reporter!

Connect with Dennis Fellidis on LinkedIn