Conference tourism takes massive pandemic hit

More than 95% of international conferences and conventions that had been scheduled to take place in Greece over the course of 2020 were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus, a recent survey has found, pointing to massive losses for the conference tourism industry and related sectors.

According to a report published last week by the Hellenic Association of Professional Conference Organizers (HAPCO), the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) and the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, cancellation rates since the start of the year have already come to 95% for conference venues and 79% for companies active in the conference and meetings (MICE) sector.

This has resulted in a drop in revenues of 76% for conference and event organizing firms and 69% for hotels and other hosting venues. Moreover, 20% of respondents in the survey have also had to cancel or postpone events that had been slated for 2021.

The survey was carried out at 122 companies, with 83% saying that they have moved into organizing online and hybrid events in response.