Athens Riviera Summit: The crucial role of Tourism for the Athenian Riviera
Correspondence from the Athens Riviera Summit 2024: NouPou, the Chief Local Media Sponsor of the event, is reporting on what is taking place at the Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens in Vouliagmeni, where the first Conference of the Athenian Riviera is being held.
- 18/06/2024
The crucial role that tourism plays in shaping the investment landscape in the Athenian Riviera is highlighted at the Athens Riviera Summit 2024, as it is a major attraction for both foreign and domestic investors, as well as for visitors coming to Greece from many different regions of the world.
Elena Rapti: The ministry’s actions for the development of tourism movement
Deputy Minister of Tourism Elena Rapti mentioned actions taken by the government to enhance the country’s tourism product, such as the Regional Tourism Council, recently approved by the Parliament as the highest advisory body proposing policies for the tourism sector.
“It is a way to disseminate our policies to the region. There is also the National Observatory of National Development, designed for interoperability with other public sector entities, to study the tourism market for sustainability,” added Ms. Rapti.
She also referred to the Observatory for Sea Tourism in the Mediterranean, which measures and collects statistical data. The minister has already sent invitations to all Mediterranean countries and noted a broad response from them.
“Among other things, the ‘Tourism for All’ program aims to enhance tourism throughout the year, including winter. The program’s platform received over 1 million applications, with 107,000 approved,” she added.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center: 3 million visitors per year.
Ella Andriopoulou, Managing Director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, noted that the Center has been operating for 7 years as a 100% public organization, receiving support from both the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the State.
“When it was created, its mission was to utilize public space so that all visitors could improve their quality of life, rather than being a landmark and attraction for tourism,” she pointed out. Currently, the Cultural Center receives approximately 3 million visitors annually and hosts around 3,000 events each year, most of which are completely free of charge.
80% of foreign visitors are aware of the proximity of Athens to the coastal front.
Eugenios Vasilikos, General Secretary of the Hoteliers Association of Attica, stated that visitors to our city who are aware that they can visit beaches with Blue Flag status in close proximity to Athens exceed 80%. “The city must be accessible to residents, and this will make it appealing to tourists. If it doesn’t appeal to permanent residents, it won’t appeal to visitors either.”
He emphasized that the Athenian Riviera has great potential and is becoming a global destination, “as evidenced by the Astir Vouliagmeni, the iconic hotel that has drastically changed the area’s image. However, all this should be accompanied by infrastructure improvements from the Municipalities and the Region,” Mr. Vasilikos added.
Sustainable tourism with local characteristics
Yann Gillet, General Manager of One & Only Aesthesis at the Astir Glyfada, stated that luxury tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years. “We proudly say that all the plants we have in our hotel come from the region where we are based. Authenticity and the natural way in which we promote tourism and culture constitute the basis of our work. When you open a hotel, it is something that requires time, and the aforementioned is a key pillar of success.”
Alexandros Thanos: Increase in revenue by 30%
Alexandros Thanos, Executive Director of SETE, spoke about the tourism sector and the qualitative and quantitative figures on the Athenian Riviera. “The Attica Region shows that the increase in revenue amounts to 30% within a year. This is one of the largest figures we see developing within a year. The Athenian Riviera has provided this development dynamic. Athens is no longer just a city break destination, but a major destination, and we see that investments in the tourism sector have doubled compared to 2019 in five-star hotels. The mix of services has been greatly upgraded. Approximately 9,000 beds are available through short-term rentals at the peak of July.”