Regional focus Greece lightning
Many destinations have had a post-Covid bounce – but few statistics can match those recently posted by Greece. In February, the country announced that visitor fi gures had jumped by 181% in 2022. To an extent, this spectacular revival was down to what’s always made Greece popular: good food, beautiful islands and ancient ruins. But amid this general surge, can Greece fi nd a way of balancing tourism with sustainability, even as the country’s infrastructure remains fragile? Andrea Valentino investigates, talking to Vassilis Themelidis at Wyndham and Stefan Merkenhof of GBR Consulting.
merging from years of foreign occupation and civil war, Greeks in the 1950s wanted something new and Aris Konstantinidis was eager to oblige. An architect by trade, Konstantinidis envisaged sleek, modern accommodation for travellers and tourists alike. Enter Xenia, a nationwide hotel construction programme giving Greeks a taste of modernism. Between 1957 and 1974, under the auspices of the Hellenic Tourism Organisation, Konstantinidis and his colleagues built over 40 Xenia properties. To an extent, Greek hospitality has moved on from the days of Xenia. By 1983, the economic winds had shifted and the group was sold off by the state. Nowadays, the vast majority of the country’s hotels are privatised, owned by a variety of foreign and domestic organisations. Yet in the essentials, in the way Greek hotels often wallow
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into the Mediterranean landscape around them, Konstantinidis and his legacy endure. More to the point, the numbers indicate the remarkable popularity of these properties even now. According to work by the Central Bank of Greece, the number of UK arrivals jumped by 181% last year, with 2022 seeing the country become one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth.
But, if many travellers flocked to the properties and destinations typified by Xenia – with their white walls and seaside views, on islands like Naxos and Rhodes – Greek hospitality is also changing. Classic beach holidays may still be popular, but punters and operators alike are also eager to explore everything else this ancient country has to offer, from wooded hills to energetic cities. That, in turn, is pushing the scale of
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
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Wyndham Wyndham
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