Presentation of the study on Athenian Tourism by ATEDCo in collaboration with the University of the Aegean

In order to record the figures for Athenian Tourism and for the City of Athens to create a Tourism Observatory, ATEDCo - in collaboration with the University of the Aegean's Tourism Studies and Research Department - has prepared a "Research Study of Athenian Tourism from the Pre-Olympic to the Post-Olympic Period", which was presented today in the Municipal Council Room at the Athens City Hall.

This study is the first thorough record of the course of Athenian Tourism figures through the period 2000-2007, and will operate as a starting point and the initial database for the City of Athens Tourism Observatory, which will officially start operating in early 2009.

During the presentation of the study, the following were mentioned in detail:

• The city's infrastructure relating to the tourist product before and after the hosting of the Olympic Games in 2004.
• Statistics from 2000 to 2007, the effect of the Olympic Games on the tourist demand for Athens, the changes in tourist flow regarding the nationalities of tourists between 2000 and 2007, and the target markets proposed for Athenian tourism during the next five years (2008-2012).
• The change in the hotel product (number and categories of accommodation) before and after the Olympic Games, and a study of the changing mixture of hotels during the period 2000-2007.
• The number of international meetings and the number of participants in international meetings in Athens from the pre-Olympic to the post-Olympic period.
• An analysis of the effects on the revenue of the local hotel sector.
• The number of visitors at selected tourist attractions in the city from the pre-Olympic to the post-Olympic period.
• The average expenditure per tourist/visitor to the city.
• Previously published visitor satisfaction surveys for Athens focused on the visitors' perceived image of Athens' tourism product.
• Primary research conducted on foreign tour operators who specialise in the city break sector in order to evaluate Athens' tourism post-Olympic development, the present image of Athens compared to other competing destinations, and its prospects on the global tourist market.
• The strategic priorities, prospects and challenges for Athenian tourism, and b) the suggested actions for ATEDCo for the five-year period 2008-2012, in order to establish Athens as a leading European  destination (for city breaks and conventions) .

At the presentation, the President of ATEDCo, Athanasios Spyrakos, and the CEO, Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, each made speeches. The study was presented by the heads of the work group at the University of the Aegean: Dr Paris Tsartas, Dr Andreas Papatheodorou, and Dr Dimitris Koutoulas.

The text for the presentation and the conclusions of the study are available in electronic format  upon request. For more information relating to this study, please contact ATEDCo's Tourism Development Director Manolis Psarros (tel. +30 210 3253123, mpsarros@atedco.gr).