Regional focus Not that Greek hospitality can simply be understood
Above: Dolce Attica Riviera offers a modern building amid a serene Aegean coastline.
Opening page: Wyndham’s property at Mirabello Bay offers a truly relaxing experience.
Greek hospitality even further, with the industry expected to reach the €27bn mark by 2030, according to findings from INSETE. Not that the path ahead is necessarily clear. From questions around sustainability, to infrastructure challenges, the country still has plenty to do, even as the tourists continue to arrive.
Be our guest It’s hard to overstate the importance of tourism to the Greek economy. Especially since the 2009 debt crisis, which six years later saw Athens default on its International Monetary Fund obligations, the country has heavily relied on visitors. Beyond those headline statistics around foreign arrivals, that’s similarly clear in terms of domestic employment. Already, over a million Greeks, or around a tenth of the population, work in hospitality, a proportion expected to jump yet further by the end of the decade. That’s shadowed by the frantic activity on the part of operators. Compared with 2005, for instance, the number of hotel rooms has increased by 23.7% to 443,835. Individual brands, for their part, have experienced particular growth. Hilton, for example, recently unveiled two new Greek openings, whereas Radisson opened three sites there in 2022, with another four to come. With all this in mind, it feels hard to disagree with
Vassilis Themelidis, the regional director South and East Europe at Wyndham, when he says that Greek hospitality is at a “very mature” level. “It is very much institutionalised and is actually now the main driver of Greek GDP.” If you know much about Greece as a country, this enthusiasm isn’t hard to understand. Quite apart from iconic beach spots like Santorini (and countless others: Greece has roughly 6,000 islands and nearly 9,000 miles of coastline). As Stefan Merkenhof of GBR Consulting in Athens points out, “cultural and religious tourism” are doughty staples of Greek life, a claim that’s impossible to refute when you recall the Acropolis, or indeed the monasteries at Meteora.
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as a binary of culture vultures and beach loungers. For one thing, gastronomy is an increasingly popular reason to travel, with 26 Greek foods and drinks enjoying protected status under national or EU law. Agritourism, for its part, is another rising star, with visitors basking in Peloponnesian vineyards and mountain valleys rich with mushrooms. But perhaps even more striking than this is where the building is happening. For, if Athens and the islands once got all the attention, other places are now enjoying their place in the sun. Consider Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city with its museums and nightlife, which has recently welcomed over a dozen new properties. Or Halkidiki, a coastal region further north that boasts a significant international presence. Together with the rise of underexplored islands like Paros or Koufonisia, it’s no wonder Merkenhof emphasises that Greece has a lot more to offer than just “sun and beach tourism”.
A Hell(as) of a time In many ways, the Dolce Attica Riviera typifies this fresh approach to Greek hospitality. A sleek modern building, all sharp lines and white-washed walls, it doesn’t look so different from a Xenia. But more than mere appearances, this Wyndham property really feels special because of its location. Situated an hour south of Athens, on the hilly Aegean coastline, this forested corner of Attica has traditionally been ignored by the hospitality sector. And as Themelidis emphasises, that’s entirely the point. “For Wyndham, we are focusing a lot into the secondary destinations,” he says. “We strongly believe that branding with Wyndham is going to help a lot. They are beautiful destinations and they have a lot to offer.” Considering the anecdotal evidence – notably the
excellent online reviews – Themelidis may be on to something. It seems clear that other operators are moving in a similar direction, venturing forth into the Greek hinterland. The so-called Costa Navarino, on the far side of the Peleponnese from Athens, is one area of interest, with Mandarin Oriental and Marriott just two of the international brands putting down roots there. In 2022, Marriott also opened an Autograph property in Thessaloniki, while the port city of Alexandroupoli, a stone’s throw from the Turkish border, has also received interest from foreign investors. Not that operators are simply interested in the location of new properties. On the contrary, new hotels are equally keen to envelop guests in luxury. Once again, the Attica Riviera is a case in point, with its pool and tennis courts and gaggle of restaurants and bars. Other properties are also indulgent. At the Autograph in Thessaloniki the decor is inspired by the Byzantine artistic tradition; the walls are decorated with work by local artisans. For Merkenhof, at any rate, none of this
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Wyndham
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