Piraeus’ priority in supporting the hotel industry, said Thodoris Tzouros, Senior General Manager, Head of Corporate & Investment Banking of the Bank at the Conference of the Hotel Chamber of Greece.

The conference, on the subject of ‘Creating opportunities, development and consistency“HORECA’s International Exhibition was held by the FEME and Mr Jouros, in his address, underlined Piraeus’ support for Santorini hoteliers who have been tested in recent weeks by natural phenomena. “Our bank maintains a strong presence on the island. We have supported a series of investments in the tourism industry and we have already assured the island’s hoteliers that we will be with them in everything we need. “Mr Jouros said characteristically.

O Chief Corporate & Investment Banking of Piraeus He referred to the timeless support provided by the bank to the domestic hotel industry, working with more than 1,500 companies and loan balances of around 2.5 billion euros, about 10%of the total business portfolio.

The domestic banking industry is made up of dynamic entrepreneurs who have endured and developed, despite successive crises, geopolitical and economic, while maintaining healthy because of its nature, as most businesses are family and in difficult times, the businessmen themselves worked hard. To maintain their business, Mr Jouros noted.

In the last two years, Greek tourism has reached record levels, boosting from international recovery, but also from the significant improvement in the services and infrastructure it offers as a country. Greece maintained first place in the General Satisfaction Index (GRI) during the summer of 2024, with 87%, surpassing Cyprus (86%) and Italy/Spain (85%). High performance in the categories of service and cleanliness are key elements of this distinction, but the country is lagging behind in room categories and quality-price compared to Turkey, which leads a leading position in these categories, he said.

For 2024 it is estimated that the total contribution of tourism to the national economy exceeds 20% of GDP and 19% of employment, according to the World Tourism Council, Mr Jouros said and estimated that long -term prospects for the hotel sector are optimistic .

“We foresee continuous growth, due to the increase in world wealth, Europe’s attractiveness as a world destination, the return of business travel and conferences, and the fact that people give increasingly priority to travel, based on income their“

Mr. Jouros also pointed out a series of structural weaknesses and challenges for the domestic tourism product:

Intense seasonality with 55% of arrivals being recorded in the third quarter of each year, while 80% of tourist traffic takes place during the summer months.

Demand for tourist product concentrated in 4 regions (Prefecture of Aegean, Crete, Attica and Ionian Islands). These areas account for 75% of total revenue and 65% of arrivals. The dominant tourist image of Greece remains that of a destination for a sea holiday.

Finding a well -trained staff has remained a key issue in several areas, and the costs have increased significantly in recent years.

In many tourist areas, infrastructure is unable to support increasing tourism demand and there is an urgent need for investment in infrastructure such as drainage, water supply, road networks and health services.

OR construction of a new hotel In Greece, it remains extremely difficult, complex and time -consuming process – with bureaucratic processes, urban planning, regions, changes in relevant laws – so few new projects are carried out in reasonable timetables.

Piraeus Corporate & Investment Banking has underlined the importance of sustainability as a concept that is increasingly established in the industry, shaping everything, from business strategies to investment strategies and funding options. “Hotel investments cannot ignore environmental or social impact on the pursuit of profitability. No longer optional, it is necessary for long -term success“, Mr. Jouros emphasized.