Uncertainty is hampering new bookings

By Stathis Kousounis

Uncertainty over the elections and political developments in the last couple of months has led to a slowdown in hotel bookings for the 2015 season, Giorgos Tsakiris, the president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, said on Friday at the group?s general meeting held in the context of the Horeca exhibition at Spata.

To make matters worse, this is occurring at a time when most rival tourism destinations that saw their share of tourism dry up in recent years due to internal problems have reopened for business and are aiming to reclaim their losses.

The chamber?s head stressed that not even another great season like last year would suffice to resolve the problems of the hotel sector and tourism enterprises, noting that ?hotel enterprises continue to face serious problems that threaten their sustainability.?

Among the problems Tsakiris cited are the underfunding of the economy, excessive taxation, the multitude of laws and the low level of public services provided, all of which constitute serious obstacles to hotels? survival and prosperity, while there is also an issue with illegal and undeclared accommodation that competes with the legal and licensed enterprises without having undergone inspections and not paying any taxes.