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This year the Greek tourism industry is facing a paradox that defies logic simply because predicting consumer behavior in unstable economic environments becomes exponentially more difficult as politicians and banks play a game that few know the rules.
Logic would dictate that a country in crisis would drop prices and increase quality to the point where it would be the primary choice of destination. So if anything, we should expect an increase in reservations compared to last year. Yet the reported cancellations of arrivals and the increasingly derelict hotels and restaurants suggest a different story. Tourism instead of becoming the crutch that helps the Greek economy, has fallen victim of the mismanagement of the Greek brand. What we now witness is the ripple effects of what happens when you lose the trust of travellers that consider you a potential destination.
So what really happened? Why did this fear over the state of the Greek transportation and the banking system escalated to the point where large Tour Operators would strongly advice their clients to bring cash with them because they may not be able to get euros from the Greek ATMs?
I remember reading the Art of War by Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu describes the example of an Admiral who has a vast numerical advantage over his adversaries but makes the mistake of keeping a small boat attached to his frigate as a means of escape in case things go bad. His people notice this and become so demotivated they lose the battle. We find ourselves in a similar war our little boat attached to our frigate is the advice large tour operators give their clients. But it is not the Tour Operators fault, it is us who have allowed fear to enter the hearts of our visitors and have done very little to manage their perceptions and regain their trust.
History dictates that in times of trouble Greeks have been the most inventive of people and now more than ever we must turn disadvantage to advantage. In times of need we work better together, so now is the time for small and medium tourism related businesses to group together and co-operate to create all inclusive packages that compete against the all-inclusives of major operators and work as catalysts that regain the faith of visitors whilst at the same time deliver authentic experiences.
Imagine local hotels working with local restaurants, bars, tour guides and retailers. Imagine consortia of such businesses in islands cities and villages that make it easy for visitors to make one all inclusive payment for a one or two week experience that delivers a product that is profitable to the local consortia and great value to visitors who wont have to think twice about ATMs. Why cant we make it easy for visitors to chose Greece over other competing destinations?
It is time we stopped expecting solutions from politicians, or major tour operators and worked together to compete and win this challenge. You may say it can’t happen "Αυτά δεν γίνονται’ but I heard one Greek visionary named Peter Economides delivering a different message, and his voice is getting louder, he says….
Perhaps if we listened more to our inner Peter we could also believe that it CAN happen and one day GINETAI in Greece and its tourism industry is not just a hope but a reality.
Ioannis S Pantelidis PhD, FIH is a Senior Lecturer in Hospitality at the University of Brighton, School of Services Management. Coming from a family of hoteliers and restaurateurs his research and consultancy focuses on online consumer behaviour in hospitality as well as sustainable strategies in hotels and restaurants. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality and a member of the Council for Tourism Concern.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
