The situation experienced by Greek tourism seems to be in mid-step since while it just “came out” of the coronavirus “quarantine” with great ambition for a very good year equal to the pre-pandemic times, the war in Ukraine brought a relative “freeze”.
Although there are no cancellations, there do not seem to be any new bookings in the systems at the rate recorded before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And it is not only war that is the cause of this freeze but also the wave of inflation that is spreading across Europe because of energy.
At the same time, and while the first flight from the USA arrived yesterday at the “Eleftherios Venizelos” airport earlier than any other year, there are fears that an extension of the military operations may cause a “stroke” in the arrivals from America on which Greek tourism has pinned a lot of hopes this year.
However, the optimism for a very good tourist season this year, remains the dominant emotion. “I believe that the war in Ukraine will not negatively affect the mood of consumers from the main European markets of Greece, for their summer travel.
“Europeans have now shown that they are accustomed to traveling in the midst of a crisis, showing remarkable resilience to it, and we remain optimistic, at least in terms of demand, even in the short term,” said Theofilos Kyratsoulis, CEO of MINDHA tourism marketing and member of the V + O group.
The North American market
But he also expresses skepticism about tourist arrivals from North America. “But in terms of long haul markets, mainly in the US and Canada, we are very concerned as experience shows that they avoid wider areas where crises are in progress, they attach great importance to the sense of security but, let us not forget , 2022 is a year of by-elections. This is likely to be a further blow to Athens and specific island destinations,” he told OT.
However, yesterday the Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias stated while welcoming, together with the American ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, the first flight for this year from the USA, on Delta , that “the nine direct flights daily from the USA to Greece, is something that shows how important the effort we are making to bring tourists from America to Greece is – and it will be successful”.
It should be noted that in 2019 the travel receipts from the USA reached 1,188.6 million euros while in 2021 they were at 607 million euros while arrivals were 1,179.0 thousand and 396 thousand tourists respectively. In other words, in 2019, the arrivals of American tourists accounted for 3.76% of the total of 31.3 million arrivals, while travel revenues from these accounted for 6.53% of the total of 18.17 billion euros.
Latest News
Gov’t Eyes Return of Power Subsidies Amid Spike in Rates
According to reports, the government will resume an electricity subsidization program, given that forecasts cite disruptions – i.e. higher rates
ELSTAT: 6.3% Increase in Output Price Index for Agriculture and Livestock
The 6.3% rise in May 2024 is largely driven by an 8.8% increase in the crop output group, particularly due to changes in olive oil prices, and a 0.5% increase in the animal output group.
Balkans Blackout Highlights Climate Threats to Power Grids
The surge in electricity demand during the heat wave and the power deficit in Balkan markets have driven up prices in the Greek wholesale electricity market.
Greece in Top 4 Destinations Favored by European Tourists
Greece was selected by 5.9% of respondents who were asked where they would vacation this year, up from 5.4% in the same survey last year
Scope Affirms Greece’s BBB- Ratings; Revises Outlook to Positive
The international ratings firm raised Greece to investment grade in early August 2023
First Seaplane Test Flights to Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros
After decades of on-again, off-again efforts to schedule regular seaplane routes to Greece's numerous island and coastal destinations the prospect now appears within sight
ELSTAT- Overall Import Price Index for May 2024 up 2.8% y-o-y
The same price index had decreased 20.8% from May 2022 to May 2023
Over 7 in 10 Employees Feel Their Contributions Are Not Appreciated
Specifically, the option "Subjective opinions are prioritized over objective data" ranked highest in importance for young employees, with a score of 3.89 out of 4
OECD: Job Vacancies on the Rise in Greece
By the fourth quarter of 2023, job vacancies per unemployed person had risen by more than 4, with the index reaching 446 units compared to 100 units in late 2019
OTE Group: FTTH Program Advancing in Semi-Urban and Rural Areas of Greece
This initiative will provide ultra-fast internet speeds of up to 1Gbps to over 350,000 households and businesses in semi-urban and rural areas across the country