In collaboration with Enterprise Greece, GNTO, and HCH
The hosting of the top international event “Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum” (R&R) for the next three years in Athens was jointly announced today by Mr. Alexandros Vasilikos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH), Mr. Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO of Enterprise Greece, and Mr. Dimitris Fragkakis, Secretary-General of GNTO.
It is emphasized that the three entities collaborate to host in Athens, for three years, one of the largest international events in the hospitality sector, which until 2023 was held in Portugal. It is noted that “R&R” has established itself as a prestigious conference institution with the participation of global market leaders and as a platform for unique networking opportunities among all stakeholders in hospitality.
The organizer is Questex, a leading company in global hospitality events, which is also the strategic partner of HCH for organizing the 7th International Hospitality Forum under the title “Greek Hotels: The Next Day,” which will take place on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the METROPOLITAN EXPO, parallel to the HORECA exhibition.
Specifically, the proceedings of the 7th International Hospitality Forum include two thematic panels:
“Opportunities and Risks in the Era of Branding, Management, and Franchise”
This panel will map out the new demanding reality shaping the hotel industry, through intense international investment interest and the positioning of major brands and chains in Greece.
“Generational Change and Wealth Management”
This panel will analyze the challenges emerging as Greek tourism reaches maturity. The pioneering hoteliers of previous decades who laid the foundations of Greek tourism are stepping back, and the baton of business management passes to second or third generations.
It is highlighted that from next year, the International Hospitality Forum will be an independent unit of the “Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum” organization in Athens.
Mr. Alexandros Vasilikos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, stated:
“In the global competition and the great challenges of the current situation, knowledge is power for Greek hotels. The fundamental mission of the HCH is to ensure for all our members direct access to knowledge, experiences, and best practices that are crucial in making their business decisions. This mission has been successfully served for seven years by the International Hospitality Forum. However, successes do not make us complacent, and we raise the bar even higher. We succeeded in bringing to Greece the top international event ‘Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum’ (R&R). For three years, Athens will be at the center of the dialogue for all trends and developments in the international market, providing Greek hoteliers with the privilege of timely and reliable information about them.”
Mr. Dimitris Fragkakis, Secretary-General of GNTO, stressed that:
“The organization of top-level international conferences in Greece is extremely important since these initiatives constitute a repository for attracting outwardness and cooperation in Greek tourism, which is in the DNA of GNTO. In this context, GNTO will present a wide program of partnerships with airlines and Tour Operators. We continue our efforts as GNTO to keep the demand high for Greece and to perform even better in 2024.”
Mr. Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO of Enterprise Greece, stated:
“With great satisfaction and joy, we announce today the selection of Greece as the host country for the Resort & Residential Forum in Athens next October. This international conference is an institution in attracting tourism investments, and we are proud because, after intensive efforts by Enterprise Greece, we managed to be selected as organizers, thus enhancing both the image of Greece as a globally renowned tourist destination and as a tourism market with excellent investment opportunities. Our strategic cooperation with GNTO and the HCH guarantees the success of the conference.”
