Η A.B.T.A. κρούει τον κώδωνα του κινδύνου σχετικά με τις μειώσεις των κρατήσεων στην χώρα μας και προειδοποιεί ότι θα γίνουν ακυρώσεις πτήσεων και θα μικρύνει η τουριστική περίοδος. Θεωρεί απαραίτητο να πέσουν κεφάλαια στον τομέα της διαφήμισης της Ελλάδας στο εξωτερικό καθώς όπως αναφέρει η επιστολή τα αποτελέσματα θα είναι τραγικά. Μάλιστα παροτρύνει να γίνουν οι απαραίτητες κινήσεις άμεσα γιατί άμα χάσουμε και άλλο χρόνο τα αποτελέσματα θα είναι τραγικά.
Διαβάστε παρακάτω την ανακοίνωση όπως ακριβώς στάλθηκε σήμερα.
16th March, 2012
Open letter to
Mr Lucas Papademos, Prime Minister, Greece
Mr Evangelos Venizelos, Finance Minister, Greece,
Mr Pavlos Yeroulanous, Minister of Culture and Tourism,
Greece Respective members of the Troika
Tourism represents 18% of the country's gross national product and, as the country’s biggest export, tourism is the key sector of the economy which will be responsible for breaking the downward spiral.
However, as a result of the constant negative publicity focused on Greece (which consumers see as not just Athens but the islands too), consumers in the UK are choosing alternative destinations in which to holiday in 2012. Such a large decline in visitors from a major market will further damage recovery of the Greek economy.
Action must be taken immediately – and, when we say immediately, we mean in the next few weeks - to unlock funds for the promotion of Greece in the United Kingdom. We ask that the normal, monumental bureaucracy which surrounds Greek Governmental procedures is circumvented in this instance so that a positive promotional campaign, pointing out that Greece is safe and that it has so much to offer the holidaymaker, can commence immediately.-2-
Our tour operator members ask you, please, to match funds that we have still to spend on marketing holidays to Greece, euro for euro. If you match our own promotional spend, this will double the marketing effect of whatever Greece itself spends. It is also vital to appoint a public relations agency with a brief to change the perception of Greece as an unstable destination to visit for holidaymakers.
If funds for PR and promotional activity are not immediately forthcoming, then flight and accommodation capacity will be cancelled by UK tour operators because they are currently simply unable to sell the normal volume of holidays to Greece. They will risk their own continued existence if they don’t take such difficult steps speedily.
Greece needs positive promotion now and not in three months’ time, when it will be too late.
This open letter asks you take immediate action if you really wish to safeguard the future of the Greek people and of Greece itself.
Yours faithfully,
You must be aware that, over the last eight weeks or so, there have been many negative and irresponsible comments made around the world by politicians, financial pundits and journalists regarding the future of Greece. On several occasions, the same people who have been working to solve the country’s problems have also been responsible for off-the-cuff negative comments which have served to undermine their own work to find a solution. Very positive progress has been made in order to put the financial rescue package in place, but any hope of growth is constantly undermined by these thoughtless and continued negative comments.
There is no doubt that Greek citizens are now having to shoulder a financial burden which would strike fear into the population of any other European member state. Fears are being voiced that the very harsh measures that have been put in place in order to reduce the country's debt will lead to further negative growth and a continuation of the recession that has gripped Greece for the last five years. The human cost is high: this will cause a good deal of personal misery for people who have lost their jobs, their pensions and perhaps also their homes, and who see no future for their children.
MARK TANZER CHIEF EXECUTIVE ON BEHALF OF ABTA & FTO
Our three organisations represent the UK travel industry - 844 tour operators and 3,547 travel agents. Many of our members actively sell holidays to Greece and have known and loved Greece for many years; some specialise exclusively in holidays to Greece.
DEREK MOORE CHAIRMAN ON BEHALF OF AITO
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