Hypertourism sinks Maximou, the Tseva block in the port of Rafina, the smiles at Lamda for the Megayacht Marina, the Rothschilds’ finger in Kassiopi and the dispute between supermarkets by Lidl – Economic Post – 2024-08-01 13:03:36

The problems of hypertourism are now evident in all Mediterranean countries.

Of course, it is also visible in Greece, culminating in the latest events in Santorini, where the mayor asked the residents to limit their movements in order to facilitate 17,000 tourists who arrived on the island by cruise ships!

Is the lockdown a solution…?

Nagging

Obviously not. And as long as the government and local rulers don’t look at the problems directly to find solutions, we will have phenomena with local lockdowns as well as grumblings between local rulers and residents and why not outbursts against tourists.

Tensions, which are manifested and those who are on the islands at this time, are easy to see for themselves…

Disinvestment

The problem, then, has to do with the disinvestment in ports and tourist infrastructures, but also with the absence of any plan to upgrade them and adapt them to the new demands and dynamics that tourism develops.

At this point, let me tell you, as OT recently wrote, the special zoning for tourism investments, is dragging and going further and further back.

Our country is facing fines for the absence of waste management units with landfills living and reigning in our popular islands.

The absence of a plan and political will, I learn, has caused strong dissatisfaction among tourism agents with a role and support in the ruling party….

And the protests are now ringing in the Maximos Palace…

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Good news in the fine print

And since I am referring to the infrastructure problems on the islands and other tourist infrastructures, let me tell you a piece of good news that we read in the bill for the Superfund, as it is foreseen that the TAIPED will be able to use half of the revenues from concessions for investments in the ports.
That is, for the first time since the privatization bill was drawn up, 50% of the revenue will not go to debt repayment. But in investments.

Breath for the ports

Based on the calculations, the TAIPED account will be “filled” in the next period with 80 million euros.
In other words, half of the concessions of the Port Authority of Heraklion (80 million euros), the commercial port Philippos V of Kavala (34 million euros) and the Port Authority of Volos (51 million euros).
Three cases where the offered price is known and amounts to a total of 164 million euros.

The difference…

And the 80 million euros may not make much difference to the debt, which has fallen to 159.8% of GDP from 169.4% a year ago and from 207% that had jumped due to the pandemic and support measures economy at the end of 2020, but it will make a big difference to regional ports.
Not to mention cases that need major corrections, especially now in the summer we in mainland Greece are also seeing them.
After all, ports are an integral part of the country’s tourism.

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Seamstress

However, in order not to blame everything on the current government and the previous ones, the local authorities are also responsible for the situation that has been created in the country with this year’s explosion of tourist traffic.

For example, TAIPED, as you will read in OT, cannot propose an entire plan for the upgrading and “greening” of the port of Rafina – which has become clogged with passenger traffic – and the municipal authority under Dimitra Tseva, say a dry “no” to projects without suggesting anything against…

Kalamaria Marina

Something similar is happening with Marina Kalamarias, which the TAIPED also seeks to utilize but with the mayor Chrysa Arapoglou proposing something completely different.

And even without having a word about the Marina, which belongs to the public.

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Megayacht Corfu Marina

Unlike the Kalamaria Marina, the utilization of the Megayacht Marina in Corfu has taken its course.

And the investor, Lamda, is preparing for its investment. I learned that yesterday a Cabinet Act was issued for the concession and the signing of the contract is expected in September.

By the end of the year, the contract will have been ratified by the Parliament…

The “wreck” in Kassiopi

On the island of Faiako, however, there is another project which does not have the fate of the Megayacht Marina.

It has been stuck for years… And the reason for the utilization of the Hermit in Kassiopi, Corfu with the development of a tourist complex.

Although from time to time various reports appear in the press about the sale of Greek-American interests to a new investor, they nevertheless turn out to be… coal.

The NCH compromise

The Americans of NCH seem to have resigned themselves to their fate, since they cannot – it seems – get rid of the investment. Which is sure to haunt them…years after it doesn’t go ahead. Although, according to the American fund, all the necessary permits have been issued. From 2015 to date NCH has spent more than 25 million euros. The amount includes the price to TAIPED for the purchase of the area of ​​490 acres.

The Rothschild family…

And this because powerful interests reacted strongly to its implementation. Among them is the powerful Rothschild family that maintains a residence in the area…

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The supermarkets

But there are also other kinds of reactions of interests in the markets.

And I am referring to the supermarket sector, where the move of a multinational player on the price front has provoked the reflexes of its competitors as well.

But let’s take things in order…

Η Lidl Hellas

You would have probably noticed that Lidl Hellas … happily announced that its own “inflation” has taken off. And in fact, as he said, during the last seven months it is reduced by more than 3%. It has been observed that the German multinational, in times when accuracy puts unbearably pressure on family budgets, itself applies the most aggressive tactics….

It has profits!

And it can do so since the majority of the codes it trades are private label. And he even manages to… “square the circle”. And lowers prices and wins! In private label products all this!

And great sales

But this tactic does not leave the rest of the retail industry unaffected. And this is because this particular company plays an important role in the “system” of retail trade. Given that its sales are hovering around the 2 billion euro mark….

Provoking!

Thus, by reducing the prices of a few hundred private label products, it provokes the reflexes of its main competitors, the company Greek Supermarkets Sklavenitis – the largest player in the market – and the approximately “equal” with Lidl Hellas, AB Vassilopoulos, to follow in specific product category. Maybe not the next day, but at the same time and at their own pace!

He presses the surnames

But this commercial practice also has consequences! That is, by widening the price difference with branded products, it forces the corresponding brand name companies to either increase their offers in order not to lose sales from the private label, or to rethink the revaluation….

Comparative advertising

In fact, such is the aggressiveness of Lidl Hellas in its commercial policy, that it has recently carried out comparative advertising with its two aforementioned competitors…

Since autumn…

It is certain that from autumn, when the market “season” changes and given the cachexia of the financial budgets of a large part of consumers, the competition will reach the limits of “warlike conflict”!