Key Tourism Figures 2016: Yiannis A. Retsos, President Hellenic Hotel Federation

Official Tourism Message

During 2016, Greek tourism proved resilient and resourceful in yet another tourism season full of challenges, both domestic and international.

According to the most recent estimates, Greece is likely to end this year by pushing the envelope upwards, with even higher number of tourism arrivals, but at the same time, with disproportional results in terms of national receipts and for businesses’ direct revenue.

Still, undoubtedly, the contribution of tourism to the national economy, employment, local economies and communities and to a wide range of other sectors and professions, is crucial and extremely valuable.

Greek hotels, once again, lead the way in strengthening the coordinated effort to keep demand going, as most of them reacted effectively to the disappointing first half of the year results, with more targeted marketing, dynamic promotion special discounts and offers.

Nevertheless, according to international guest satisfaction surveys, Greek hotels again verified the exceptional level of services they offer to their clients, standing high among competition.

As for incoming tourism, the 2016 tourism season demonstrated the dynamic of new markets, revealed new aspects of our traditional markets, “enlightened” interesting changes in trend and upheavals in preferences and products and redefined the relationship between the demand-driven major players with the supply factors.

We remain optimistic that Greek tourism will retain its momentum in 2017 and that Greek hotel businesses will manage to remain competitive in terms of prices and quality.

However, with overtaxation hurting Greece’s potential to growth, Greek hotels expect that, soon, it will be brought under control, leaving more space and providing more tools for entrepreneurship, capital flows and new investment plans.