With a large participation of hoteliers, the proceedings of the 12th General Assembly of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (ΞΕΕ) were completed.
The 12th General Assembly of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels was held with the massive participation of hoteliers from all over the country, within the framework of the XENIA exhibition, in the presence of many important institutional representatives from the hospitality sector and the government.
The proceedings began with a greeting by the president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, Vasilis Vasilikos, who welcomed all delegates to “the largest and most attended gathering of all Greek hoteliers,” as he stated, “which this year is breaking records, here where the heart of Greek hospitality beats.” Mr. Vasilikos, after praising the efforts of all those working in the sector who have worked hard to position Greece among the top international destinations, noted that we are at a time of overwhelming developments and listed the challenges the hospitality sector faces: “The climate crisis, with extreme phenomena that can affect any tourist destination at any time, digital giants changing the distribution channels of our products, inflationary pressures, competition in the Middle East, wars in the north and south of our neighborhood, the unprecedented energy costs, and the cataclysmic changes occurring in the global market.” Mr. Vasilikos also addressed the issue of over-taxation of hoteliers, which is gradually eroding competitiveness at the national level, and emphasized that “unfortunately, we are very far from what we need to do as a country to meet the strategic requirements of tomorrow,” referring to the real long-term horizon of Greek tourism.
Finally, Mr. Vasilikos highlighted that both digital transformation and the green transition are urgent needs for the sector, and he also addressed unfair competition from short-term rentals, as well as the recent decision of the European Court of Justice which ends the parity clause that had prevented hotels from offering lower prices on their own websites than those on booking platforms. He also announced the Chamber’s decision to investigate, in cooperation with a law firm, the claim for compensation by Greek hoteliers against Booking.com, joining the collective lawsuit initiated by the German Hotel Association IHA.
The Minister of Tourism Greets the Assembly
The Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, also addressed the Assembly, mentioning that the signs for the next year are very positive, as they indicate that it will be a reference year for Greek tourism: “An important development is the increase in revenues and arrivals by over 20% from January to May this year, and the positive image of October.” The Minister pointed out that new challenges require effective solutions and immediate actions, emphasizing that the government and the Ministry of Tourism are working towards the qualitative and sustainable development of tourism in Greece, with respect for the environment and the protection of the identity of our destinations.
The Minister also mentioned short-term rentals and noted that there is an issue of unfair competition and that the new taxation framework for these rentals has been in effect since the beginning of the year. Mrs. Kefalogianni also said that a new tourism bill will soon be put out for public consultation. Finally, she announced the creation of digital platforms for special forms of tourism (such as mountain, sea tourism, etc.) would soon be launched.
The General Assembly was also greeted by the president of Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers, Giannis Chatzis, as well as the president of the German Hotel Association (IHA), Markus Luthe, who gave a brief overview of the events leading to the collective lawsuit by European hoteliers against Booking.com.
Additionally, Mrs. Agni Christidou, Director of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, presented this year’s report of the Chamber’s actions, while Mrs. Konstantina Svynou, President of the Institute of Tourism Research and Forecasting (ITEP), presented the Institute’s work for the year, along with interesting ongoing research.
Finally, there was significant interest in the presentations of projects related to tourism aimed at its upgrade, with a standout presentation by Professor Theodoros Moulou on “AI for Hospitality,” showcasing the possibilities of artificial intelligence for Greek hoteliers.
