According to hoteliers, the tourist flow in Thassos is at a low level.
Only half of the 210 hotels on the island are currently reopening. Tourist accommodation owners rely heavily on Greek visitors, but as summer approaches the middle, hopes are placed on visitors from abroad, mainly from the Balkans.
According to the President of the Association of Hoteliers of Thassos, Paris Parashoudis, the number of bookings from the Balkans is increasing day by day, but there are some issues that need to be resolved.
“On weekends, long lines line up at the border,” the head of the association notes, adding that potential visitors “will think twice before coming to our country because of the long agony and inconvenience created at the border.” “The service needs to be better,” he says.
Regarding the flow of tourists, especially from Serbia, Mr. Paraskhudis emphasizes “the need to approve the Sputnik V vaccine so that travelers can free themselves from the additional waste of money on molecular tests (PCR).”
At the moment, the occupancy of hotels on the island is in the range of 20-30%. The President of the Thassos Hoteliers Association expresses the hope that the operating costs of industry professionals will be covered this year, which did not happen in 2020. “If the occupancy rate does not reach 70% within two months, from July to August, we will not be able to reach the target of 50% of visitors from 2019, as planned,” he notes.
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