By L. Karageorgos
[email protected]
The first month of 2019 was disappointing for the hotel sector in the Greek capital and the greater Athens area, as all relevant indexes moved “south” in January.
The reduction, year-to-year, reached as high as 30 percent in some districts, with sector representatives also taking aim at the Tsipras government’s amplified over-optimism for the all-important tourism industry’s prospects in 2019, and in the case of the relevant tourism ministry’s leadership, an overt celebratory tone.
According to figures released by the association representing hotel operators in the greater Athens and Saronic Gulf islands, occupancy in January 2019 dropped by 8.7 percent, compared to the same month in 2018. Revenues per room (RevPar) also moved negatively (-10.1 percent), while the average slide was 1.8 percent.
Moreover, the greater Athens area’s fared even worse when compared to its direct competitors, both in terms of occupancy and RevPar.
For instance, Berlin posted an increase of 11.7 percent terms of occupancy; 9.1 percent for Vienna and 6.2 percent for Barcelona. Other “heavyweights”, such as Paris and Istanbul, conversely, fell by 5.9 and 3.8 percent, respectively.
In terms of prices, the hoteliers’ association referred to an “extremely competitive” policy by their members, with the average price per room significantly lower than competitors.
