Aldemar Resorts 2020, the year that has yet to begin for the tourism industry in Greece
Greek Minister of Tourism, Harry Theoharis has been considering ways of salvaging the sector with his EU counterparts in this era of Covid-19. As the threat of the pandemic recedes, considerations for measures that will encompass health and safety for travellers are as important as lockdown was to combat the initial threat that Greece faced two months ago.
Aldemar Resorts (www.aldemar-resorts.gr) Vice-President Alexandros Angelopoulos and his management team are following the developments closely as they consider Aldemar Resorts’ own strategy.
Looking Forward
Aldemar Resorts stayed in touch on a regular basis with their UK tour operator partners, sharing information and ideas on the way forward.
Alexandros Angelopoulos commented “Greece is universally recognized as a country that has tackled the Covid 19 crisis in an efficient and balanced way. Not only have we contained the virus from spreading faster than anyone else, but also applied measures to avoid further contagion, such that we are recognized as one of the safest destination in Europe. This, in itself, is the basis of our strategy to getting back to being the safe and attractive destination that we have a reputation for being. It will take time and we expect people to be tested before they board planes and from our part will be applying very strict health and safety protocols for staff and guests.”
Considerations
Aldemar Resorts are considering four key areas:
Hygiene; we are involving expert partners in the field to achieve ‘hospital standard’.
Staff; all personnel will be tested before they can rejoin the hotel’s workforce.
Heating and air-conditioning; as a precaution the engineering and maintenance departments have been working on disinfecting all areas of the resort hotels and introduced new protocols for heating and air-conditioning of all areas hygienically.
Food and beverage; here the big buffet with multiple choices despite its high standards and quality will be replaced by a la carte service.
“In Crete and Western Greece where our six hotels are located, the incidents of infection are none since the beginning of April” adds Alexandros Angelopoulos.
“Although it is still too early to say whether we can expect an extension of the season given the late start, following on from the directives of the state and our tour operator partners, we will consider extending our operation past the month of October. Of course, this is not only up to us, but relies on global efforts to contain the virus and develop accurate measures for the protection of all people” concludes Alexandros Angelopoulos
Aldemar Resorts is one of the leading hotel chains in Greece with a total capacity of 3,738 beds and 1,200 employees.
The group has six deluxe hotels, four in Crete and two in the Western Greece, as well as two world class Thalasso Spa Centres, one in Crete at the Royal Mare Hotel and the other on the mainland in Western Greece at the Royal Olympian.
The Aldemar Group has 33 years in the tourism market and is recognised as being one of the most dynamic businesses of the Greek hospitality industry. Its success is due to continuously investing in innovative products and ideas and by demonstrating a high level of responsibility toward people, society and the natural environment. With this attitude it hopes to respond positively to the challenge of restarting the sector, a major component of the Greek Economy. In Greece, tourism accounts for 20% of GDP and provides one in five jobs. In 2019, Greece attracted a record 33 million arrivals, more than three times its total population, and double the number it attracted a decade ago.
For further information visit www.aldemar-resorts.gr
On the road 