Here is a little video we put together following our recent interview with the BBC correspondent, Malcolm Brabant about tourism and hospitality in Greece (read the relevant blog post).

We hope you’ll enjoy.

Since we’re on the subject, the Press Release on the BBC report (English and Greek) went out today.

The excellent podsafe track is ‘Your face is not enough’ by 3 Blind Mice.

A few days ago we had a chat with the excellent BBC correspondent, Malcolm Brabant about tourism and hospitality in Greece which was broadcast on BBC World today.

Having read our whitepaper, Malcolm Brabant’s question was simple: What went wrong and how do you fix it. In the subsequent discussion we maintained – as we always do – that the solutions are there, if only hospitality professionals are willing to look deeply into their policies and what travellers actually need – instead of what we may think they do.

For us, it’s all about the long term solutions, the policy, the investment of time and good work that can show travellers, travel agents and the market that the Greek hospitality professionals are in it for the long run.

Take a look at the video which Mr. Brabant has uploaded on his YouTube channel.

Our heartfelt thanks – it is great to be given an opportunity to add a note of optimism in all the doom and gloom.

It is a great feeling, when you are asked to talk about your work and the principles behind it.

We are very excited about our interview in a Greek daily newspaper regarding exactly those principles which guided us to publish our white paper on  Policy and Crisis Communications for the Hospitality Sector for free. We were asked time and again: Why give it away for free? Nikos Moumouris of Eleftherotypia had exactly the same question and he gave us an excellent opportunity to share our thinking with the world.  (more…)

Greek Assistant Minister of Culture and Tourism G. Nikitiadis (pic from his official website)

It was shaping up to be a cold day in London on Sunday but lo and behold the sun came out just in time for me to put on my sunglasses and head on down to a central London hotel to have coffee with the Greek Assistant Minister of Culture and Tourism, Giorgos Nikitiadis.

You’ll remember that the Assistant Minister called our client the other day in order to congratulate him for the good work he is doing at the Golden Bay Hotel in Malia. At the time he also spoke with my colleague Manolis and mentioned our white paper on Policy and Crisis Communications for the Hospitality Sector. We were naturally, delighted.

It turned out that the Assistant Minister would be visiting London to do the official opening of the Greek beach by the Thames so it seemed like a good opportunity for us to request a quick catch up on behalf of our clients.

With the hustle and bustle of London safely tucked away behind the glass we chatted about tourism in Greece, the new strategy that the Ministry is developing for promoting the country as a destination abroad and the hard core policies that our clients consider imperative for facilitating entrepreneurship and innovation in the hospitality sector.

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Periklis Vanikiotis, an old hand in journalism and tech in Greece, has an interesting column in the Greek edition of Marketing Week. He recently put down some thoughts about tourism and its marketing, mentioning our white paper.

He kindly agreed that we could translate and re-publish in our blog.

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The product comes before advertising
by P. Vanikiotis, Marketing Week 1293

I am watching with interest, my friends, all these new cheerful acts to save tourism in Greece. I heard that we are even creating a DVD – it’s clear that this is all about advanced technology – in an attempt to show that we are a place of tranquility, order and security. Campaigns here, campaigns there, some good, some in need of improvement. And I wonder. Didn’t anyone note – Marketing 101 – that products have to come before advertising?

It’s true, if a tourist is looking for sun and sea they can be found in abundance. If you are looking for oily kebabs and warm beers, those can be found as well. If you are looking for a little bit of chaos in terms of where to go and where to stay, sure you’ll get that (I remember only too well those times in Tinos, the “rooms to let” guys where doing everything sort of picketing us). If, finally, you are looking for a general lack of info, you’ll get that too.

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The Greek hospitality sector – indeed the hospitality sector in any country that faces such an unprecedented negative coverage – can and should make a difference. There is opportunity in adversity. In times of crisis, the companies that will continue to evolve and thrive are those that invest in strategy, in analysis, in personal communications and in essential services.

It is with great pleasure that we present the SoMaFusion white paper on Policy and Crisis Communications for the Hospitality Sector. It is available under a Creative Commons License both in English and in Greek.

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Παραλία Σταλίδας Uploaded by SykoFantiS Bastoyni on 12 Apr 10, 11.56AM BST.

Our main hospitality contracts being in Greece we know first hand how the EU/IMF rescue package is affecting the industry.

Any negative media coverage affects the industry and with news of economic trouble – not to mention protests and strikes – it is difficult for people travelling not to feel uneasy about a destination.

We know that the key during these periods is swift and decisive action from travel and hospitality companies. The state at times like these is sadly too bureaucratic and not flexible enough to take innovative action. However, individuals, companies and localities can hold the tide and build strong relationships with commercial contacts and customers that will endure.

There are opportunities in adversity, openings to tell your story and to build relationships. It is easy for companies in times of crisis that is not of their own making to put their head down and try to go through the motions or fire-fight. This creates a negative image not only externally but internally as well.

We are working on a white paper for our clients these days dealing with hospitality crisis communications. Our message is clear.

ANALYSE – PLAN – ADAPT – COMMUNICATE

It is imperative that companies recognise the insecurities that might plague their stakeholders and their customers so that they can be analysed and then a course of action planned.

In difficult times there might be scope for changes of policies, for value added services, for offerings that promote confidence and trust.

Finally, communicating a strong presence and the diversified offerings should be done in a careful and precise manner so that positive messages supersede the negativity of the times.

This is the time to find opportunity in adversity and build strong relationships for the future. It is a matter of survival and future growth.