In recent years, news coverage of Greece frequently mentioned terms like “economic turmoil,” “bailout packages” and “austerity measures.” While the Greek economy emerged from a six-year recession in 2014—with unemployment easing and GDP growth projected at 2.9 percent for 2015 and 3.7 percent for 2016—many foreign investors and lenders remained cautious. “The situation is still very difficult, but there is hope,” observed Pierre Moscovici, the European Union’s economic affairs commissioner.
For international meeting planners working with U.S. dollar budgets, Greece’s economic challenges created a practical advantage: significantly lower lodging costs. At the end of 2014 the average overnight hotel rate in Greece was €84 (about $92), placing the country among the more affordable hotel markets in Europe, according to the travel booking site trivago.
Athens, Greece’s primary meetings destination, ranked among the least expensive of 50 major European cities, with an average daily rate of €79 (roughly $86), despite year-over-year increases of 11.3 percent. Five-star hotel rates in Athens averaged around $166 in January, far below comparable luxury rates in London ($513), Paris ($490) and Rome ($324), based on a KAYAK survey. For conference and incentive planners, this meant the opportunity to offer deluxe accommodations—often with views of the Acropolis—at exceptional value.
This affordability, combined with strong demand, helped drive tourism growth. Foreign arrivals to Greece reached 20.8 million in the first ten months of 2014, a 21.9 percent increase over 2013, while tourism revenues rose 10.6 percent. The Association of Hellenic Tourism Enterprises projected more than 27 million annual foreign visitors by 2021.
Tourism accounts for roughly 20 percent of Greece’s GDP, and its impact is especially visible in Athens. “Athens is a very vibrant, contemporary city,” said Olga Kefalogianni, Greece’s minister for tourism, noting that 2014 marked a strong comeback for the capital with visitor numbers up nearly 30 percent. Political changes and ongoing negotiations with E.U. partners over Greece’s loans may continue to influence hospitality pricing, potentially creating further opportunities for cost-conscious planners.
Athenians are known for their hospitality, and visitors often find local businesses eager to welcome guests—shopkeepers may offer discreet discounts and restaurants sometimes complement a meal with a glass of Santoríni white wine. Beyond warmth and value, Athens offers a mix of ancient and modern attractions: classical, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments coexist with contemporary hotels, high-tech meeting venues, modern art museums and an efficient metro system. The surrounding landscape—hills, beaches, palm trees and seaside tavernas—adds to the city’s Mediterranean charm.
Several five-star hotels in and around Athens provide extensive meeting facilities. The 543-room InterContinental Athenaeum Athens Hotel has added new banquet venues, including an Acropolis-facing terrace. Located just south of the Acropolis, the property features 28 meeting rooms, exhibition space and Greek artwork throughout, and it manages the nearby Ethniki Conference Centre, which offers additional conference facilities a short walk away.
Meeting room at
the Ethniki Conference Hall. © Intercontinental Hotels Group
The historic Hotel Grande Bretagne, overlooking Constitution Square, is an Athens landmark favored by international VIPs and upscale travelers. Restored and modernized in the early 2000s, the property offers updated guestrooms, suites and event spaces and is part of Starwood Hotels’ Luxury Collection.
For planners seeking a seaside resort setting, The Westin Athens Astir Palace Beach Resort in Vouliagmeni sits on a cliff above the Saronic Gulf, offering private balconies, beach and pool access, and extensive meeting and exhibition facilities capable of accommodating large groups.
Other five-star hotels suitable for group bookings include Hilton Athens, Divani Caravel and Athens Ledra. Design-forward and four-star options include New Hotel Athens and Radisson Blu Park Hotel, both well suited for smaller meetings or incentive stays.
Metropolitan Expo, opened in 2010 near Athens International Airport, is Greece’s largest, most modern exhibition center, offering more than half a million square feet of single-floor space and the capacity to host up to 20,000 participants. The Megaron Athens International Conference Centre, a central-city venue with multiple meeting rooms, and the historic Zappeion Exhibition Hall—an iconic landmark that hosted events during the 1896 Olympic Games—remain important professional venues for conferences and exhibitions.
The Acropolis Museum, designed by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi, is a popular off-site venue for group events, with private tour options, conference space, a 204-seat auditorium and a restaurant overlooking the Acropolis that seats 300 guests, plus outdoor dining. The National Museum of Contemporary Art is preparing to occupy the restored FIX brewery building, featuring multi-level galleries and a top-floor restaurant with Parthenon views—another attractive setting for events.
One-day excursions from Athens are easy to arrange through tour operators and the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau. Popular options include ferry day trips to Hydra, Aegina and Poros; private yacht trips to nearby islets for snorkeling in the Saronic Gulf; tours to the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site at Delphi; and coastal drives to Cape Sounion to see the Temple of Poseidon at sunset.
With experience gained from hosting the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, Athens’ Convention & Visitors Bureau coordinates local suppliers for conferences, accommodations and transportation. The city’s calendar typically features numerous international conferences across disciplines such as energy and environment, geography, demography, education and food science.
Athens International Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, opened 14 years ago, now serves more international destinations and remains the main gateway to the city. Located about 19 miles from downtown, travelers can reach central Athens by suburban rail in roughly 40 minutes or by taxi in about 30 minutes, with multiple daily options available.