In worrying times,Greece needs a joint tourism strategy - The Best from Greece

This year, Greek tourism added a point-and-a-half to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Greek tourism, at this incredibly crucial juncture for the country and despite the numerous problems it has and will face, has posted a significant increase of 10 percent in comparison to 2010, not just in revenues, but in arrivals as well. The goals set out last March were achieved. International arrivals this year will come to a record-high of approximately 16.5 million tourists.

This year, Greek tourism added a point-and-a-half to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). If the recession comes to around 5.5 percent, then, without the increase in revenues from tourism, this would be 7 percent, and there would be 100,000 less jobs, with all this entails for the country’s austerity drive, the extraordinary measures being taken and the level of unemployment.

The people in tourism, like all Greeks, are proud of this performance, which was not just a matter of luck. These targets were reached with a lot of hard work, under especially adverse conditions, to improve productivity and the relationship between quality and cost. The effort was helped by the reduction introduced on Value Added Tax (VAT) and by the unrest in North Africa, but the bulk of the success is due to the hard work put in by the people working in tourism, and thanks to the support of society as whole, which proved that it recognizes the importance of tourism to the Greek economy.

This year, Greece welcomed 16.5 million old and new friends from all over the world, who, despite the negative publicity in the international press, despite the idiotic and illegal activities of a handful of our thick-headed compatriots, chose our country and helped, both with their financial contribution and with their good words.

However, the prospects for next year are defined by high uncertainty. There are three main reasons for this: A worsening international economic climate, with the likelihood of another global recession; the revival of the countries of North Africa as tourist destinations, with very aggressive prices and a good amount of reservations already made; and, finally, the problems in Greece, which is at a crucial junction.

Given these factors, nothing should be taken for granted in regards to next year’s tourism season. It will take a huge effort and the right actions and policies to succeed a positive result in 2012. One necessary prerequisite is adopting specific direct and medium-term measures. These measures will be presented at a conference organized by the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises titled “Tourism and Development” on November 1, where the directions and priorities of a 10-year strategic plan will be outlined. There, we will make the goals more specific and also draw up the road map that will lead us to them. What we need and our main objective is for a convergence of the country’s healthy political and productive forces on a common tourism strategy.

* Andreas Andreadis is the chairman of the board of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises.

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