Archives: Events

Kathimerini Newspaper Coverage of RIT’s August Monthly Hotel Panel Survey

Written by Sofia Panousi on 10 October 2026. Posted in Events, Press Conferences.

The performance of Greece’s hotel sector in August 2026, as reflected in the monthly panel survey conducted by the Research Institute for Tourism (RIT) on behalf of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH), was presented by the newspaper Kathimerini and journalist Ilias Bellos. Commenting on the high hotel occupancy rates recorded during this year’s tourism season, which was marked by significant uncertainty due to international developments, the President of RIT, Christina Tetradi, emphasized that “the fact that hotel occupancy in August this year remained at the very high levels recorded last year is a significant achievement for our country. However, the considerable variations in demand call for even closer cooperation between the government and industry stakeholders, particularly in view of planning for the next season.”

For his part, the General Director of RIT and Professor at Panteion University, George Petrakos, noted that “we are observing a notable decline in room rates at five-star hotels, particularly at properties with a large number of beds, and this is mainly attributed to last-minute bookings, which appear to have exerted downward pressure on prices. In addition, total turnover is expected to remain at the same levels as last year, but business profits will be more limited, as it is clear that hotels have absorbed the majority of the price increases.”

RIT at the “European Researchers’ Night”

Written by Sofia Panousi on 25 September 2026. Posted in Events, Workshops - Conferences.

The Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts (RIT) participated in the “European Researchers’ Night”, successfully organised by the National Technical University of Athens on Friday, 25 September, as part of the European celebration of research, “European Researchers’ Night”.

A large number of visitors of all ages gathered at the Zografou Campus to meet members of research teams from NTUA, universities, research centres, start-ups and spin-off companies, and to learn about the latest developments and achievements in research during this major celebration of knowledge and innovation, which helps bring science closer to the wider public.

The President of RIT, Christina Tetradi, the Director General and Professor at Panteion University, George Petrakos, and the Institute’s research team had the opportunity to present RIT’s work, activities and initiatives to visitors. At the same time, children took part in fun activities, such as a treasure hunt, through which they learned in a creative way how a hotel can become more sustainable, more environmentally friendly and “smarter” through the use of technology. All young visitors to the RIT stand also received the children’s book “Hospitality and Me”, created by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels in cooperation with the Ministries of Tourism and Education, Religious Affairs and Sports. The book explores the concept of hospitality as an integral part of Greek tradition and culture, as well as the values of inclusion, acceptance of diversity, harmonious coexistence and environmental awareness.

Read more about the “European Researchers’ Night” here:
https://www.ntua.gr/ntuaren/

Kathimerini Newspaper Coverage of RIT’s July Monthly Hotel Panel Survey

Written by Sofia Panousi on 24 September 2026. Posted in Events, Press Conferences.

The performance of Greek hotels in July 2026, based on the monthly hotel panel survey conducted by the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts (ITEP), was featured in the newspaper Kathimerini in an article by journalist Ilias Bellos.

Commenting on the findings, ITEP President Christina Tetradi noted that “despite the initial concerns that understandably emerged in the hotel market following the somewhat weaker momentum recorded in June, as well as uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East, the picture for July is positive. Occupancy rates reached the already high levels recorded last year, confirming both the resilience of Greek tourism and the strong brand that Greece has successfully built in recent years.”

With regard to double-room rates, ITEP Director General and Professor at Panteion University, George Petrakos noted that “the slight increase observed is attributable to the rise in the number of five-star hotels and the corresponding decline in one- and two-star hotels compared with last year. In other words, room rates themselves were not higher; rather, there were more rooms available in five-star hotels. In fact, room rates remained stable, despite the increase in hotels’ operating costs.”

RIT’s Participation in the 13th International IACuDiT Conference 2026

Written by Sofia Panousi on 7 September 2026. Posted in Events, Workshops - Conferences.

The research team of RIT participated in the 13th International IACuDiT Conference (International Association of Cultural and Digital Tourism), held on the island of Lesvos from 1–3 September 2026, under the theme “Tourism in the Age of Transformation: Insights from the Social Sciences”.

IACuDiT 2026 – Conference Website

Professor George Petrakos chaired the main session of the second day of the conference, during which two academic papers were presented, focusing on Sustainability and Employment in Greek hotels.

The first paper, presented by Ms Stavroula Athanasakopoulou, addressed the social dimension of Sustainability, focusing on the interaction between hotels and the local community and its importance both for the local economy and development and for the preservation and promotion of the wider area’s environmental and cultural heritage.

The second paper, presented by Ms Sofia Panousi, focused on labour shortages in Greek hotels over the past five years. It presented the Institute’s findings on the occupations, skills and hotel departments facing significant challenges, in both absolute numbers and percentages. The analysis of the findings led to particularly interesting conclusions and provides a basis for future actions and initiatives in the sector.

Both academic papers were based on data drawn from RIT’s annual Sustainability and Employment surveys, conducted under the auspices and with the support of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.

RIT President Christina Tetradi’s Interview on Raising Quality Standards in the Hotel Sector

Written by Sofia Panousi on 30 July 2026. Posted in Events, Press Conferences.

Christina Tetradi, President of the Research Institute for Tourism (RIT), gave an interview to journalist Regina Savourdou for the newspaper Political. During the interview, she discussed the ongoing enhancement of quality standards in the hotel sector, which is also contributing to its economic growth, the steady strengthening of Greece’s tourism product in the face of international competition, the high professional standards and adaptability of hospitality professionals, as well as the framework that should be developed for short-term rentals.

Latest Data on Greek Tourism and Hospitality

Written by Sofia Panousi on 13 July 2026. Posted in Events, Press Conferences.

The Research Institute for Tourism (RIT) presented the latest data on Greek tourism and hospitality at a press conference held on Monday, 13 July 2026, at the Electra Palace Hotel.

The President of RIT, Christina Tetradi, emphasised, among other points, that the Institute’s vision centres on the need for Greece’s national tourism strategy to be based on evidence-based knowledge.

Professor George Petrakos, Director General of the Institute, analysed the qualitative upgrading of Greece’s hotel capacity over the past decade and its impact on the size of the economy, the sector and the value of the tourism product.

The key findings presented included:

✔️ the structural transformation of the country’s hotel capacity, with the addition of new 4- and 5-star properties,
✔️ the percentage increase in key indicators, most notably investment in renovations and expansions, which reached 50%,
✔️ significant investment in infrastructure and Sustainability (ESG) initiatives, New Technologies and Artificial Intelligence applications,
✔️ the growth in employment in the hospitality sector, which exceeded 225,000 employees during 2025, as well as the significant representation of women in management positions.

The new Data Fusion service was also presented, offering the possibility of extracting detailed data not only at regional unit level, but also at destination and even municipal level.