Challenges lie ahead for hoteliers
The hotel industry is being pummeled by energy costs, inflation and labor shortages.
As Alexandros Vassilikos, head of the Airotel group, said on Thursday, upon assuming his duties as president of the European Hotel, Restaurant and Cafe Association (HOTREC), which has 47 national organizations from 36 European states, hospitality and food service are called on to address a number of important issues. They concern “inflationary pressures, energy costs and human resource shortages but also the consequences of an ongoing destructive war within Europe itself,” as he said.
“At the same time, we are asked to lay the foundations for green hospitality in the years to come, so that the industry’s supply to Europe and its citizens can continue in terms of sustainability,” added Vassilikos.
“Managing the energy deficit and finding the right balance between the need to increase prices, the adoption of cost-cutting measures and the provision of quality services are the ‘key,’” noted the general secretary of Tourism Austria, Susanne Kraus-Winkler, on Thursday from Stockholm, where HOTREC’s elections were held.