EHMA
he intention to travel to Europe fell about 4% year on year but still remains strong, and it seems like more Europeans are choosing diverse options on travel and more affordable destinations. We do have more tourists though, about 5% compared with 2022 with October and November being strong months. In fact, an ongoing European Travel Commission survey indicates that Europeans continue to adjust their behaviour while at their destination to meet their budget. It seems that approximately 17% will cut back on shopping, 15% will look for cheaper restaurants and 15% will choose less expensive accommodation. However, they do intend to enjoy holidays of a similar length to last year. So, while the proportion of travellers who will spend more than €1,500 is up by almost 10% perhaps due to the rapid rise in travel costs, 39% of Europeans with the planned budget of up to €1,000 are worried about the financial situation because it does seem that Europe is getting more expensive year by year. Last year, the difference after the pandemic was made up by the European tourists; now we see that this year is the turn of the Americans. That’s probably thanks to the strong dollar and the trend of ‘revenge tourism’ that was not possible during lockdown. According to data provided by Allianz Partners, the number of Americans travelling to Europe this year is expected to jump 55% from last year, which is already up from an impressive 600% from 2021.
Time to celebrate
Next year marks a golden jubilee for EHMA, and a 50th anniversary adds a great deal to the credibility of an association as it proves longevity, strength and success. While respecting that EHMA started in Rome back in
Is the industry golden? T
With EHMA’s recently announced 50th anniversary taking place in Venice, its president, Panos Almyrantis, discusses the state of the sector and his expectations for the future.
1974, our anniversary host city for the event, Venice, combines historically similar elements that have been the driving force to actually selecting it as a venue. This is a chance to reflect the organisation’s history and reward those who have contributed to the success along the way. The theme this year will be human capital and the challenge of involving young professionals in hospitality. We feel that the topic is very vivid as the main challenge at the moment is to get talented people into the hotel industry, so this conference will hopefully give new ideas in attracting and retaining young people. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the hospitality industry will create 86 million new jobs by 2027. Our association’s commitment is to actively use the experience of our members to showcase how fascinating this industry is through synergies, partnerships and mentoring programmes.
Ready for a challenge
Elsewhere, going forward for EHMA, I would consider the five biggest challenges facing the hospitality industry in 2023 to be experience and personalisation; sustainability; increasing hospitality tech; changing consumer demands and markets; and the rising operational costs. So together with the executive committee and the national delegates in all chapters, we’re working on different projects and synergies that will provide our members with information and build knowledge on how to face all these challenges. The hospitality industry is expected to rebound with pent-up demand for travel and a desire for unique experiences driving growth. Hotels will need to adapt to changing consumer preferences and technological advancements to remain competitive, which is exactly what our association is working towards for its members and partners.
The future of hotel management as a career looks bright and promising, and the hospitality industry has been growing rapidly in recent years, and it is expected to continue growing in the coming years. ●
Panos Almyrantis
An experienced chief development offi cer in luxury hotels and resorts, Almyrantis has an academic background with postgraduate studies in the US and
distinctions in sales, operations and hotel management internationally.
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
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AlexAnton/
Shutterstock.com
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