Greek Tourism Min.: “The end of the tourist season will coincide with the end of the year”

Greek Tourism Minister, Mr Vassilis Kikilias, referred to the fruitful strategy of extending the tourist season, speaking to the ERT1 channel.

“I have a feeling that this year, 2022, the end of the tourist season will coincide with the end of the year,” he said, as the messages coming from the major tour operators are very optimistic.

Travel packages until December

As an indication, he said that Der Turistik and Apollo – the second tour operator in Germany and the first in Scandinavia, respectively – are already booking travel packages for October, November and December with their main destinations being Rhodes, Kos, Corfu and Athens. At the same time, direct flights from the US are being extended into early winter for which tickets have become a runaway hit and are now hard to find for August and September.

Specific reference to Karpathos

Kikilias made specific reference to Karpathos – the island he chose to spend the long holiday weekend – and to the hundreds of beautiful, though not so popular, destinations in Greece, for which the Ministry of Tourism is implementing a specific plan so that they have already been upgraded for tourism.

“I remember, a few years ago, Epirus was the poorest region in Europe and we were saying how difficult it was for its inhabitants. So now, Ioannina, Aristi, Metsovo, Papigo, are some destinations being “sold out” all over the year. There are so many beautiful alternative destinations in Greece, inhabited islands, mainland destinations, in northern Greece, in southern Greece. What I’m trying to tell you is that Karpathos has already got a lot of tourists, a lot of people. Germans, French, Belgians, Austrians, Scandinavians,” the minister said, noting that the hoteliers and shopkeepers he spoke with say they are very pleased with the increased tourist flows seen on the island early this year.

“Come and see the prices in Karpathos, they are excellent for Greek and foreign travellers, as well. It is worth supporting such a beautiful destination. Karpathos is one of the jewels of the Aegean” he added.

North Evia and Samos

The Greek Tourism Minister also referred to North Evia and Samos, for which a special discount pass has been provided for those who choose them for their holidays. “We should support all the destinations of Greece. It is a patriotic duty for all of us,” he concluded.