Hellenic Hoteliers Federation President Grigoris Tasios.
Although demand for journey to Greece this season is on the up, the nation’s tourism sector’s post-Covid restoration should take care of challenges, based on Greek hoteliers.
“We are ready to give the battle of the season, to make the most of the momentum gained last year because we are fully aware of the importance of tourism for the economy,” the president of the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation, Grigoris Tasios, stated on Wednesday.
Speaking in the course of the federation’s normal meeting held in Athens, Tasios underlined that he expects 2022 to be a “good tourism” 12 months.
However, he stated the excessive demand and enhance in arrivals anticipated in 2022 doesn’t essentially imply a restoration for lodge coffers because the heavy blow of the Covid-19 pandemic has left many professionals this 12 months with dues to the State and banks.
Tasios added that following the shock of the pandemic, professionals at the moment are dealing with a worldwide “tsunami” of value will increase in vitality and merchandise, at a time when a struggle is going down between Russia and Ukraine and the state of affairs is deteriorating each day.
“At the moment, the operating cost per room each night has increased by 25 to 30 percent,” he stated.
Meanwhile challenges stay within the type of workers shortages and unfair competitors Greek accommodations are dealing with from Airbnb-type leases.
Short-term leases: Inadequacy of laws a serious problem for hoteliers
Speaking in the course of the normal meeting, the president of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), Yiannis Retsos, referred to the unfair competitors accommodations are dealing with from Airbnb-type leases in Greece as a result of sure “loopholes” within the present short-term rental laws.
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Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) President Yiannis Retsos.
“No one can not deny that short-term rental accommodation is a global trend as there is demand for this market,” Retsos stated, highlighting that tourism professionals aren’t rejecting that short-term rental lodging is part of the tourism product.
“However, these days we have reached a situation where Greek and foreign companies are now appearing in all areas of Greece, mainly in large urban centers, and buying entire buildings that then function as hotels with full services,” SETE’s president harassed.
According to Retsos, the present short-term rental laws in Greece should be revised with a view to preserve the lodge business aggressive.
“This can also be a terrific loss for the federal government, for the financial system… Besides the unfair competitors there may be additionally a lack of insurance coverage contributions, there may be undeclared work… We are one hundred pc towards this and can combat it as a lot as we will… The problem is big and likewise has to do with the standard of the tourism product and safety of customers,¨ he stated.
SETE’s president added that sector professionals lately despatched the federal government a brand new set of provisions that appropriate the present laws.
Greece the one Western nation that has not regulated short-term rental exercise
Echoing Retsos, the president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, Alexandros Vassilikos, additionally known as for a transparent and extra outlined nationwide laws.
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Hellenic Chamber of Hotels president Alexandros Vassilikos.
“The hotel industry has never been against development, in this case the sharing economy… However, we have been focusing on this issue since 2012 and I must say that we are currently the only Western country that has not regulated this activity,” Vassilikos stated.
Also current on the normal meeting was the governor of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), George Pitsilis.
Although he didn’t immediately handle the problem of firms working entire condominium buildings as accommodations, AADE’s head knowledgeable that checks can be carried out within the context of Greece’s cooperation with the three main short-term rental operators (Airbnb, Booking.com and VRBO).
“All listings of homes/apartments that do not have a property registration number (AMA) will be removed from the platforms by the end of the year,” Pitsilis stated, including that AADE can even be checking platforms that lease out luxurious villas for the short-term.
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Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) Governor George Pitsilis.
“AADE is working to set the boundaries between the hotel sector and the short-term rental market… We are stepping up our checks because it is important to ensure healthy competition,” Pitsilis stated.
Staff shortages
The excessive workers shortages the tourism business is dealing with was additionally included among the many challenges of the hospitality business.
Underlining that the primary cause younger individuals don’t need to work in tourism is as a result of the employment is seasonal, SETE’s president, Yiannis Retsos, known as for a strategic method to the problem.
“We need initiatives by the private sector in cooperation with the government towards mitigating seasonality… We also need employment policies in the winter for these workers,” he stated.
It is famous that for this 12 months and for the primary time, in efforts to deal with workers shortages in tourism, the federal government has invited sector companies to declare vacant positions for the June-August interval to the Public Employment Service (DYPA).
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