Crete Hoteliers Association: Meeting with Mr. Fiorentino on tourism
Source: Tornos News
The Crete Hoteliers Association held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Hellenic Tourism Organization, Mr. Andreas Fiorentino, last Saturday in Rethymno, in the context of strengthening cooperation between the institutional bodies of tourism.
During the meeting, the Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Mr. Fiorentino, informed the representatives of the hoteliers of Crete about the institutional operation of the organization, provided full financial data on the promotion expenses and made a brief report on the activities of this year’s tourist season.
He made special mention of the implementation of the green certificate, during the COVID period, which our country was the first to implement, and which resulted in us remaining active in tourism and a sharp increase in incoming flights, mainly from America. Mr. Fiorentinos developed the main objectives of the Hellenic Tourism Organization for the coming years as follows:
- Absorption of funds from the Recovery Fund for the development of new destinations such as China, India, countries of the former Soviet Union, etc., as well as strengthening existing ones.
- Further cooperation with airlines to increase flights during the winter period with the ultimate goal of extending the tourist season.
- Great emphasis on sustainability and the sustainable development of Greek tourism.
- Strengthening the offices of the Hellenic Tourism Organization abroad by hiring 30 new employees.
- And of course, we will continue our presence at a faster pace in our traditional markets, which are the main blood donors of our tourism.
The President of the Crete Hoteliers Association, Mr. Manolis Stamatakis, after thanking Mr. Fiorentino for accepting the invitation to the meeting, informed him about the problems facing the hospitality industry in Crete that prevent the further qualitative upgrade of the destination. The most important of these are:
- Infrastructure such as a road network with incomplete markings and junction lighting, biological cleaning.
- Crete’s airports with emphasis on Heraklion airport with the miserable conditions for visitors.
- Understaffed hospitals and health centers.
- The scourge of bureaucracy, environmental studies, loans for tourist accommodations.
- Special spatial planning framework for tourism.
- Tourist education.
- Anarchic and rapid spread of short-term rental that creates unfair competition with all forms of accommodation.
The meeting took place in a particularly positive atmosphere and the foundations were laid for an even closer and more productive cooperation in the near future.
The original article: belongs to Tornos News .
