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Georgios Drakopoulos, General Manager, Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), to deliver keynote speech at the 2003 European GOLF Investment and Real Estate Conference
November 27th, 2003 -- Georgios Drakopoulos, General Manager, Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), will deliver a keynote speech titled 'The Importance of Golf in the Development of Greek Tourism' to a distinguished audience at the 2003 European GOLF Investment and Real Estate Conference in Athens on November 28th, 2003. This important international industry event is being held under the auspices of SETE. Career summary Georgios has studied Tourism Management in Greece (School of Management & Economy, Department of Tourist Businesses, Technological & Educational Institute of Athens), Hotel Management in Switzerland (Centre International de Glion) and has completed his studies with a scholarship by the Hellenic Scholarships Foundation in Surrey University, UK, where he has been awarded a Master's of Science Degree in Tourism Studies. He has more than 15 years experience in Tourism both in Greece and abroad. He has been invited in many international conferences and has produced several research works about Tourism. His major research interests include: tourist development planning & design, tourist market research, travel behavior, marketing of tourism destinations and the application of new technologies in Tourism. He participates in various Committees and Work Groups (for the new Greek hotel classification scheme, the introduction of Euro in tourist enterprises, the promotional campaign for Greek Tourism, the National Certification Council, etc.). Today, he serves as General Manager of the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE). He also holds one of the Vice President positions in the Executive Committee of the World Tourism Organization Business Council (WTOBC) and participates in the Leadership Forum of Advisors of the WTOBC. He represents SETE in the European Tourism & Travel Action Group and in the Greek-Turkish Business Council. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Alpine School of Travel & Hospitality Management and he has been member of the Board of Directors of Galileo SA, a subsidiary of Olympic Airways. He speaks English, French and German. He is Founding Member and served as first President of the Panhellenic Association of Tourist School Graduates of the Technological and Educational Institutions. About the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE)
SETE's purpose and aims The Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE)'s basic purpose is the continuous quality improvement and increase of the competitiveness of Greek Tourism through public-private sectorial partnerships. Description of SETE's activities The Association's basic activities include: tourism policy initiatives and the expedition of missions to promote these policies on governmental level; the submission of proposals for tourism development related issues; the support of positions and the intercommunication of the Association's views to whoever might play a pivotal role on the tourism decision making level: the creation of partnerships between the private and public tourism sectors.
Greek tourism 2010: Strategy and goals A study by the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises The Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), in its study Greek Tourism 2010: Strategy and Goals, published in 2002, argued that by the end of the decade the Greek tourist industry should be targeting 19.4 million arrivals and receipts of USD 15 billion -- respectively increases of 32% and 48.5%. Such growth would only marginally increase Greece's share in the European market share from 3% in 2000 to 3.68% in 2010 and in the world from 1.87% to 1.92%. With a rising tendency for short-duration holidays, and given the time-distance disadvantage of Greece from the main tourist generating-countries, the average length of stay, should remain at today's level of 10 days. To support such growth, the study argued, the sector would have to invest in 128,000 new hotel beds, which will contribute to the improvement in quality of Greek hotels, and increase its stock of up-market ancillary services to 45 golf courses, 15 autonomous conference/congress centres, 24 thalassotherapy centres and 42 marinas. "These goals," the study concluded, "are ambitious but not unattainable" -- particularly in light of the potential legacy of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Attracting tourists with a higher income level is expected to raise per capita expenditure from USD 737 in 2000 to USD 773 in 2010. These goals are attainable only in case Greece moves immediately towards the development of a series of supportive tourist infrastructure, which will benefit the development of special forms of tourism and will smoothen the intense seasonality that characterises the demand for Greece. Improvement of the investment climate, through substantial amendments and simplification of Greece's Development Law, attracting foreign investments, continuous renovations to all tourist enterprises, intensity of promotion of Greek tourism, all in connection with the Olympic Games in 2004, are the main strategic axes, to realise these goals, with of course, the constant dedication to quality and more value for money. If you wish to receive SETE's entire 32-page report titled "Greek Tourism 2010: Strategies and Goals" (Zipped 1.76 MB Word document), please contact SETE.
Further information For further information, please contact Mr. Peter Michel Heilmann, Conference Director.
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