Xenia 2018: 2nd International Hospitality Forum concludes with great success

The 2nd International Hospitality Forum was concluded with great success. The Forum was organized by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) and was focused on new technologies, investments and the all latest developments in the fields of Hospitality & the Tourism Industry.

This year’s 2nd Ηospitality Forum took place on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at the C1 Conference Hall of the Metropolitan Expo exhibition center and within the framework of the Xenia 2018 Exhibition, which was also a Gold Sponsor for the event. International and Greek experts from the tourism industry, prominent representatives of the academic community, as well as high profile consulting companies discussed the latest trends and developments in the global hospitality industry.

The President of the HCH talked about the future of the sector

Mr Alexandros Vassilikos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, referring to the 2nd International Hospitality Forum, addressed a full to the brim C1 conference room, and talked about the new era in Greek tourism and the need for bold new decisions and actions: “Today is a very special day. Leaving behind the difficult years of the crisis, Greek hoteliers are now present and willing to highlight the fact that the future belongs to those who dare claim it, visualize it and are not afraid to make it happen,” he stated. Mr Vassilikos also stressed the point that change does not happen overnight nor without effort. “We must leave behind dated habits and practices. Nobody can claim a stake at the future by moving backwards.”

“Nobody can claim a stake at the future by moving backwards”, stated Mr Alexandros Vasilikos during the 2nd International Hospitality Forum.

Greek Tourism Minister addressed the Forum

The leading event of the hospitality sector also took place in the presence of the Tourism Minister, Ms E. Kountoura who addressed the Forum and —among others— remarked that “2018 is an historic moment for Greek tourism and represents the sum of all the efforts and exploits of the last four years.” The Minister expressed the opinion that Greece is the only country in Europe with so many islands and that Athens was recently recognized as the best tourism destination. After briefly discussing the governmental actions of the last years, Ms Kountoura thanked hoteliers for their valuable contribution, promised that she will continue to be on their side in the future, and wished every success to the 2nd International Hospitality Forum.

A new era for the hospitality industry

The 2nd International Hospitality Forum proved once again an excellent initiative, shedding light on the changes and the developments in the hospitality industry and its future. Specifically, this year four topics were discussed with the active participation of top Greek and international players in the Tourism sector. These topics were centered around new hotel investments, the use of data to boost guest experience and hotel revenues, the ways to maximize new digital sales and distribution channels, and –finally– what hotels can learn from the sharing economy.