The Short Stay Conference by Stama, the leading institution for the short-term rentals market in Greece, was held for the first time in 2019 under the name BNB Guest Conference.
Since then, it has been constantly evolving, reflecting the changes and challenges of the industry, and is the most important meeting point for Airbnb property owners, short stay managers, tourism professionals and businesses operating in the short stay sector.
The importance of the conference for industry professionals is crucial as it offers them practical knowledge, growth strategies and valuable networking opportunities. With a rich program, specialized speeches and a steadily increasing participation, the Short Stay Conference has become a benchmark for the short stay rental market in Greece.
The opening of the conference
The 1st BnB Guest Conference took place on 24 January 2018 at the Wyndham Grand Athens Hotel, with great success. The conference was attended by more than 1500 professionals active in the short-term rentals market, attending with undiminished interest the speeches, presentations and panel discussions that were organized, while the exhibitors who presented their products and services in the lobby of the conference area had the opportunity to communicate with hundreds of interested professionals.
The conference opened with the greetings of the Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee and Managing Director of Smart Press, Konstantinos Nostis, the President of the International Union of Property Owners (UIPI) & the President of the Panhellenic Federation of Property Owners (POMIDA), Stratos Paradias, the President of the Association of Landlords of Furnished Apartments – Houses George Kanellopoulos, the President of the Association of Property Managers Andreas Chiou and the President of the Sharing Economy Association Theodora Dima.
Data & insights
During the conference, Thomas Caton, Chief Revenue Officer of AirDNA – the largest provider of data and statistical analysis for the industry – presented an in-depth analysis of the market. Based on data from the two largest platforms, Airbnb and Homeaway, he highlighted the dynamics of the Greek market: in 2018 there was a 21% increase in listings for vacation rentals and 24% increase in overnight stays, compared to the previous year. At the same time, there was a decrease in occupancy (-13%), average daily rate (-17%) and revenue per available property (-28%), reflecting the intense competition that now dominates the short-term rentals landscape in Greece. These figures underline the importance of the conference for professionals in the sector, as they provide critical information for strategies for adaptation and success in an ever-changing market.
Session 1: Case Study Athens. A magical city!
The sharing economy in Athens: opportunities and challenges
In the first panel discussion, entitled “The course of the sharing economy in Athens: Opportunities and Challenges”, was attended by Thomas Caton, George Kanellopoulos, Stratos Paradias, Agni Christidou (Director of Guesthouse Development), Alexis Galenos (CEO of Athens Development and Tourism Promotion Company) and Vangelis Kteniadis, CEO of V2 Development, moderated by GTP News CEO Maria Theofanopoulou.
Tom Caton said that the first thing that people looking for tourist house rentals look at is the photos, followed by the description of the house, reviews and a good price. He also noted that hotel chains, large and small, are entering this market as it shows great potential for growth. It is estimated that at the moment the global turnover of chains in house rentals is over $1 billion.
George Kanellopoulos said that in Athens, the most popular are the large houses in Athens, as there is less competition with both hotels and other rentals and they attract large families who want to stay together or groups of people.
Alexis Galinos said that if Athens did not have such accommodation, there would be a problem as the hotel market does not have the capacity to expand as fast as it does. Various neighborhoods are becoming new destinations, with a positive consequence of local business development. He stressed, however, that if we do not preserve a destination from becoming a huge accommodation venue there will be a problem.
Vangelis Kteniadis said that at the moment Greece is the first country in the world in terms of the Golden Visa programme.
Stratos Paradias stressed that short term rentals are a solution to save properties due to heavy taxation and debts. Only good professionals will survive in this market, he added. And she concluded that when the ‘bill’ comes at the end of the year (tax, fixed expenses), many will see that it is better for them to turn to long-term renting
Agni Christidou referred to the social impact of the dramatic increase in the phenomenon of tourist house rentals, pointed out that these houses should also have a similar tax rate as hotels and stressed the need for consumer protection measures.
This was followed by the presentation of the scientific study entitled ‘Effects of the Airbnb platform – the opinion of the owners’ by Sophocles Skultsos, professor at the Department of Economics and Tourism Management of the University of the Aegean. The study conducted by a leading group of Greek scientists in the tourism sector has shown that the main reason for engaging in short-term tourist rentals is to generate additional personal income and to contribute to the family income, while the owners themselves estimate that this activity contributes to the national economy and the local economy, in addition to raising their living standards.
Impact on the local community – economy
In the second panel discussion, titled “Impacts on Local Communities and Economies,” the participants included Dr. Paris Tsartas, Professor of Tourism Development at Harokopio University; Giorgos Intziadis, Treasurer of the Board of the Panhellenic Association of Property Managers; Grigoris Tasios, President of the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation; Stavros Kafounis, President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce; Ioannis Pappas, Director and Representative of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC); and Elena Varela, Partner at Smartbnb. The session was moderated by Tornos News journalist Vicky Tryfona.
Dr. Paris Tsartas emphasized that this market must develop under clear rules and healthy competition principles to avoid repeating past mistakes, while stressing that spatial management is of critical importance.
Giorgos Intziadis pointed out that, given the high level of competition in Athens, property owners need to understand that short-term rentals require significant involvement. Depending on the area and the type of property, long-term rentals may sometimes be a more profitable option.
Grigoris Tasios acknowledged that the rise of the short-term rental market has brought some positive effects to Greek tourism. However, he stressed that hosting and serving tourists demands proper training and professionalism.
At this point, George Intziadis extended an open invitation to the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation for dialogue and cooperation — an initiative Mr. Tasios accepted, highlighting: “While the State turns a blind eye to the short-term rental market, organized bodies show the way forward through communication and logic, as demonstrated by the open invitation for dialogue and cooperation extended by the Panhellenic Association of Property Managers.” Konstantinos Nostis, CEO of Smart Press, proposed organizing a meeting between the two organizations to initiate this dialogue.
Stavros Kafounis remarked that many neighborhoods have been revitalized thanks to short-term rental accommodations, with local shops benefiting and new jobs being created as a result.
Ioannis Pappas introduced the dimension of sustainable development into the discussion, urging property owners and managers to start aligning with sustainability principles now, as tenants themselves will soon begin to demand it.
Finally, Elena Varela noted that just 5% of listings account for 20% of all bookings on Airbnb, underlining that the right pricing strategy can significantly boost owners’ revenues.
Tax & Law: Everyone knows the rules, but few know the exceptions
In the 2nd section of the conference, “Tax & Law: Everyone knows the rules, but few know the exceptions,” all tax and legal issues concerning property owners and companies were thoroughly examined.
TAXHEAVEN and Economist – Tax Consultant Vangelis Michelinakis, the law firm Paradias & Partners and Lawyer Tasos Vappas, the legal representative of POMIDA, Lawyer Giorgos Christopoulos, and Konstantinos Raikos, CEO & Founder of KRS, answered audience questions under the moderation of Konstantinos Deriziotis, publisher of Money Tourism.
«The “biribi” of the BnB: The devil is in the details»
In the 3rd and final session of the conference, titled “The ‘biribi’ of BnB: The devil is in the details”, Thanos Liontos, Concierge/Executive Director of KSM Human Resources, emphasized through examples that hosts must make their guests feel unique.
This was followed by short presentations from the companies SmartBnB, All-in-One, Hosthub, Rentability, V2 Development, Pennie, Istikbal, Welcome Pickups, United Cleaning, and Nespresso.
The conference concluded with a panel discussion featuring Anthoula Yoldasi, Marketing Manager at City Contact/Athens Walking Tours, who spoke about the importance of creating destination experiences; hotel photographer Evangelos Chatzikellis, who highlighted the value of proper property photography on booking platforms; Eleni Kouroubali from Istikbal, who stressed the importance of high-quality sleep in rental accommodations; Eleni Chyta from Nespresso Hellas, who pointed out the added value an espresso machine brings to a rental property; and Giorgos Bothos from Pennie, who emphasized the positive impression made by quality linens and bedding.
The discussion was moderated by Stathis Karopoulos, Vice President of the Conference Organizing Committee.
At the same time, Booking.com held a workshop in a separate room, where it presented the solutions the global platform has developed to meet the needs of short-term rental professionals.
The closing remarks of the conference were delivered by Andreas Chiou, President of the Hellenic Property Managers Association, who spoke about the market’s dynamic growth; Romina Tsitou, Secretary of the Sharing Economy Association, who called on hosts to support the association’s initiatives; and Stratos Zafeiriadis, administrator of the Facebook page “Airbnb Greece _ Greek Hosts.”
The BnB Guest Conference renewed its appointment with industry professionals for next year, promising even more thematic sessions, while plans are also under consideration for a similar event in Thessaloniki.
In addition, the new information portal BnB News, dedicated to short-term rental professionals, will soon be available online.
