Yannis Hatzis, president of the Panhellenic Hoteliers Federation, outlined the difficulties plaguing Greek tourism, in an interview with “Naftemporiki” TV.
Looking to the future, Hatzis referred to the competition that Greece faces from Mediterranean countries. Regarding the competition from Turkey, the President of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers, stated that “Turkey exempts taxes”, while in Greece, due to taxes and fees, “the country offers less competitive prices.”
Infrastructure is of key importance
Hatzis stressed the importance of infrastructure on touristic destinations. He explained that infrastructures “are of key importance”, as they increase tourism without putting pressure on the inhabitants of the islands.
Asked about his estimates for 2025, Hatzis replied that the “messages are excellent” and that “2025 looks like it will do better than 2019”, the best year for Greek tourism.
For 2024, he cited “broader economic stagnation in Europe”, thus, “customers are more price sensitive.” According to him, there are some trends such as the trend of more people opting for short-term accommodation as well as the trend of not spending so much on food, and these trends drive down the per capita expenditure.
Finally, he commented that the negative signs in Greek tourism will begin to be more frequent in the future.
