Hotels In Athens Suffering From Economic Crisis And Rise in Crime

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A total of 41 hotels in Athens have closed down as a result the economic crisis, coupled with a depreciation of Athens as a travel destination from what some believe is a rise in criminality and other illegal behavior. Presenting a GBR Consulting report for 2012, the Athens-Attica Hotel Association announced its members' financial results for the year earlier this week which it said added further to a negative trend followed by the sector since 2007.

The association said that average room occupancy rates dropped by a third, or by 31.9 pct in 2012, with revenue per available room dropping by at least 39.9 percent over the corresponding period a year earlier. In the same period under review, average room occupancy rate in Athens did not surpass 55 percent mark.

The report said that tourist arrivals in the Athens airport dropped by 27 percent in 2012, as opposed to 2007, with Crete recording more arrivals than the country's capital. The report also noted that the average price per available room fell by 11.8 percent last year.