STAVROS MITSIS
THE NEW FACE OF TOURISM AND OUR VISION FOR EXCELLENCE

Tourism is developing fast

Tourism is showing dramatic growth. In the last two decades, the number of international travel departures around the world has doubled from 600 million to 1.3 billion! This development seems to continue, elevating the tourism industry constantly to new heights.

The Mediterranean destinations are starring, with Greece breaking all records, recording 33 million visitors in 2018. In Greece, tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors, accounting for more than 20% of GDP. The country’s stable performance in tourism is expected to continue in the coming years, creating an attractive investment environment in our country.

The new face of tourism

Direct booking channels are rising, as are last-minute bookings. International travelers now have their own personalised needs and do not follow mass standards.

Travelers are looking for authentic experiences based on local wealth and cultural heritage. The modern visitor is indulging in the local culture when visiting a destination, wants to do what the locals do and eat where the locals eat. Restaurants have always been considered as destinations, but today the culinary journeys are aimed at exploring the culture of a place through its cuisine.

Ecological and educational tourism is on the rise. The increase in ecological consciousness has led travelers to choose Virgin Destinations where they can enjoy the environment and local traditions.

The search for quality as a counterweight to modern lifestyles is at the heart of the global trend for fitness vacations, wellness and spiritual recreation through the quest for calm and remote destinations.

Finally, conventional luxury amenities have given way to exclusive, physical and spiritual challenges and the creation of new luxury travel offers with unpredictability, extreme authenticity, enthusiasm and personalised experiences as dominant elements.

National tourism culture

How do we respond to a highly evolving environment? International tourism trends in essence favour an authentic destination with generous and hospitable people like Greece.

Centrally, we are in need of a single solid tourism culture that encourages new personalised experiences. That does not suffice in natural beauty as the only gift of this piece of earth but will utilize it as the most ideal setting for the enjoyment of new products and services.

At hotel level, we must all be geared towards local communities and their power to give birth to unique authentic experiences. To develop our own piece of corporate social responsibility and to show our modern visitor who has developed social intelligence and environmental awareness that we care about sustainability and respect human rights, as just happens in all the countries of the world. We are now accountable for the impact of our activity on the natural environment and people’s quality of life. Apart from our own roots, we have technology and artificial intelligence as our best allies to develop holistic experiences.

Let us look for new growth prospects, let us design new brands, let us create new products and services for this new era that is already here.