Athens attracts conferences after successful Olympics
Athens is by far the most popular destination for conferences in Greece, followed by Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and Thessaloniki, according to a survey by the Hospitality & Tourism Consulting firm for the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers. The survey was conducted among sector professionals in 35 countries last January and February. Hospitality & Tourism Consulting’s director general, Yiannis Michailidis, says that the percentage of those opting for Athens as a choice for hosting a conference among seven Greek destinations is an impressive 93 percent. This percentage mirrors the post-Olympic benefits of Athens and the promotional program of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), the Tourism Development Ministry and the Region of Attica. Crete and Rhodes, the most important Greek destinations for conferences, scored 69 percent and 66 percent respectively. Other results of the same survey show that websites (94 percent), recommendations (91 percent), local associations/convention bureaus (91 percent) and conference exhibitions (82 percent) are the main informational sources for choosing the location for a congress. A massive 81 percent answered they knew of no site on the Internet offering information about the Greek conference product. The five most important criteria for choosing a destination are direct access by air, safety, image/prestige, relation of prices to services and the existence of a reliable local professional conference organizer. The four main criteria for choosing Greece, according to the survey, were its culture and history, safety, climate and reputation. Post-Olympic benefits These criteria show that Greece enjoys the benefits of its tourism product. In addition, two new elements are that Greece has a comparative advantage in safety and reputation. Although there are no data for comparison, the survey’s report argues that the country’s reputation has improved considerably thanks to the 2004 Olympic Games and the aggressive campaign by the GNTO and the ministry in the last two years. Crucially, 35 percent of local organizers who had staged no such events in Greece before 2004 said that after the Olympics they either include Greece in their proposals or see greater interest by their clients for this country. On the other hand, respondents said they were not satisfied with the access to information, the degree of reliability of the local organizer or partner, the choice of locations for events, the lack of direct air links and the price-to-services ratio. The «access to information» problem is particularly important, for it displays a lack of specialized promotion and integrated information of the Greek conference product. Nearly two in five respondents, after being surveyed, asked to be sent more information about holding conferences in Greece. The low reliability of local organizers focuses on the lack of legislation and on iffy standards for these professionals. Today all travel agencies or freelancers can legitimately offer some sort of services in organizing a conference, with all that this may entail. Further, one in five respondents cited the shortage of appropriate cultural or other spaces where events or even dinners could be held. Finally, in an open question concerning Greece’s drawbacks as a tourism destination, direct air access and cost drew most attention from respondents. In terms of satisfaction with conference destinations, Greece is second in southern Europe, only behind Spain and ahead of Portugal and Italy. Almost one in five (19 percent) said they were very satisfied with Greece and 77 percent answered they were quite satisfied. For the next five years Greece will be chosen mainly for motivational trips and conference meetings, unlike congresses with more than 1,000 participants, for the lack of many direct air links and of big metropolitan conference centers. Last-moment mentality Costas Constantinidis, the CEO of Heliotopos, one of the top conference organizing companies in Greece, highlights another aspect of the Greek conference product: The mentality of organizing events at the last moment, particularly in the public sector. He argues that the success of a conference depends on the timely planning of several parameters. Experienced organizers use a series of techniques to form a precise picture of the logistics of each event, while in repeated conferences where their previous history is known the forecasting of logistics figures is much safer. The Greek reality of leaving everything till the last moment creates major problems in staging conferences mainly addressed to the Greek public and leaves foreigners frustrated. Constantinidis says delays are typical for letters of support to reach the conference, for confirmations of participation and many other issues. Air links are key Direct air connections are the key to the growth of conference tourism in popular destinations with large installations throughout the year, argues Irini Kapsi, president of the organizing committee of Philoxenia, one of the most important conferences to be held in this country: The 45th International Congress and Conference Association, scheduled for 29 October to 1 November in Rhodes. The conference will be attended by 700 of the biggest conference organizers in the world, tourism corporations, airlines and other bodies in the global conference-tourism industry. Kapsi suggests that such international events give tourism professionals the opportunity to get to know Greece not only as a summer resort but also as a year-round conference destination. Tourism Development Minister Fanni Palli-Petralia will participate in that event, too.
