Which areas are the public choosing – What industry bodies are saying
This year, the winter destinations in Greece will record a high level of occupancy during the fortnight of the holidays (Christmas, New Year and Fota), even reaching 90%, as reported by industry players.
This year, the areas with theme parks, Drama and Trikala in Thessaly, will be the main protagonists again, as the general secretary of the Panhellenic Hotel Association, Angelos Kallias, points out to APE, and it is considered certain that the supply of available beds in these areas will not cover the increased demand that has already is observed.
These days, however, the reservations for Greek destinations are moving at 30% to 40% always in terms of hotel occupancy, but as we approach the holiday season, the occupancy of open hotels in the country’s winter destinations will approach 85% and 90% in total, says Mr. Kallias.
Giving an indication of the bookings at the hotels of the mountainous massif, Angelos Kallias states that the peak of the bookings will take place from December 22nd to January 7th when the arrivals will reach their zenith. However, on the intervening days of the holidays (Tuesday – Thursday, bookings drop to 40%), explains the general secretary of the Panhellenic Hotel Association.
Where will the Greeks go on holiday during the holiday season?
The areas that traditionally star during the holiday season, in addition to the theme parks, are also those that have ski resorts, such as Arachova and the wider area of Parnassos, Drama, Kalavryta, etc. In any case, as he notes in APE the president of the Federation of Travel Agencies in Greece, Lysandros Tsilidis, Epirus, Zagorochoria, Tzoumerka, Xanthi, Kavala, Alexandroupoli, Arcadia, Trikala Corinthia and Peloponnese in general, will have significant traffic during the holiday period, as he emphasizes.
Indicative of the dynamics of areas with theme parks is the impression of bookings in Drama. Already, as Mr. Kallias reports, bookings are at 85%, while for the holiday season, not a pin will fall, as he noted. After all, Drama is perhaps the only region that this year will have an incoming tourist flow from the Balkans, at a time when almost all the country’s winter destinations do not attract a measurable tourist flow from abroad, as the POX director reminds.
Pelion is back on the map of winter tourism
Special mention should also be made of Pelion and Magnesia in general, as it is re-entering the tourist map of the country and this year’s holidays will be the first test of winter tourism for them. Already, as Mr. Kallias says, the messages are good and occupancy will exceed 80%, always based on the accommodations that have opened during the winter season. As far as the urban centers are concerned, see Athens, Thessaloniki, always during the holiday season they are a pole of attraction for the Greeks living in the District and they are also expected to move with good occupancy.
The country’s urban centers have great scope for development
At this point, the vice-president of XEE, Christina Tetradis, in her turn mentions to APE, that other urban centers should follow the standards of Athens and Thessaloniki, so that they become a pole of attraction for domestic tourism. Mrs. Tetradis talks about the need to draw up a strategy that should consider this parameter as well, always with a view to prolonging the tourist season, but also decompressing some areas from the increased tourist flow of the period for the benefit of other areas of Greece as well .
He also considers that it would be beneficial for the quality of the tourist experience and the diffusion of tourist revenues to establish other days for holidays, in schools and in general in the public sector, so that there is no one-dimensional descent of Greeks for holidays on certain days the time.
Which foreign countries will the Greeks prefer for holidays this year?
Some part of the Greeks will also prefer to travel outside the country’s walls this year. As Mr. Tsilidis says, the tourist packages that have been allocated for abroad are reduced by 20% compared to last year, as a result of inflationary pressures, but also of the fear of travel caused by the war in Ukraine and Israel. It is characteristic that travel agencies dealing with religious tourism have been particularly affected.
In any case, travel packages from Greece to Italy went well, Spain is moving at a record pace, while Greeks will find themselves in London, Vienna, Budapest, Paris, with the Christmas parks stealing the show, underlines Mr. Tslidis. This year, however, the packages abroad are a little more expensive compared to last year because of the plane tickets, underlines Mr. Tsilidis. In any case, choosing a 5-day tourist package for a Central European country costs from 600 euros to 700 euros per person.
What taste does the first test for domestic tourism leave for tourism entrepreneurs
In response to the question of what “taste” the first test for domestic tourism leaves for tourist entrepreneurs, Mr. Kallias notes: “Winter tourism cannot support the operation of hotels. We are talking about a period of 130 days, of which 35 are essentially those that have increased volume of work. With 25% occupancy of the accommodations overall in the winter season, the viability of the hotels in the mountainous mass is the big bet this year as well, as he notes. At this point, both Mr. Kallias and Ms. Tetradis note the weakness of the of Greek winter destinations to attract visitors from abroad. After January 17, no phone calls are made to the hotels, emphasizes Mr. Kallias and asks: “Have we properly promoted Greece abroad?” Greeks have very specific days for holidays. So the solution is the incoming tourist flow”, adds Mr. Kallias.
