The tourist season officially opens on March 1

According to Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, the tourist season begins in Greece on March 1.

“The way we handled the pandemic was so important that even though every other Mediterranean country was closed in 2020, we opened up. reached 10.5-11 billion euros.This is a huge contribution to the Greek economy and trade.I did not make forecasts for the pandemic, and I will not do it now.But I see that instead of mid-April, we start on March 1. I see that the first cruise the liner has already departed for Thessaloniki and Volos.We will have 765 cruises, 55% of which will have a home port (registration) in Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, the Greek Islands. And at the moment there is a kind of “struggle” between airlines for “tourists,” the minister noted in his speech.

We unite efforts for the tourism development of the country

Although theoretically this is not the time for tourism, nevertheless, the Ministry of EOT in February for the first time conducts a campaign to promote winter destinations, representing the most beautiful areas of our country.

Off-season tourism, destinations that have been closed for two years due to the pandemic, have been fully booked for the holidays. This year, seasonal winter resorts, ski resorts, rental apartments and hotels were operating at full capacity. And it’s great! We have 14 flights from America every day since April. These are high-level travelers, bringing a very high income to the country.

Tour operators and major airlines are calling for a 30-50% increase in seating, travel bookings and slots by 2022. These numbers are very encouraging. The CEO of TUI came to Rhodes and said: “Last year I brought 1.5 million travelers, this year I want to bring 3 million.”

We are joining forces with everyone, the development of tourism is a national issue. We cooperate with the regions, so yesterday I convened the Regional Tourism Council, with 13 regional governors, with municipalities, with hotel owners, with the private sector and tour operators, with hundreds of professions and hundreds of thousands of employees in Greece who work and live off tourism, which is the locomotive of the economy,” the minister stressed.

Covering alternative destinations across the country

1 out of every 4 euros in the Greek economy comes indirectly or directly from tourism and eventually reaches the average Greek family running small and medium businesses.

Either you have sunbeds, or you have a store that sells milk or primary products and makes feta, or you have a restaurant, or a small family hotel, or a business. All these people wait and live off tourism. This year they will be very strongly supported, that is, no less than last year. The social tourism platform for our citizens will also open earlier.

Safety is the first condition for the traveler – Greece comes first

The Turkish lira has really fallen sharply, and this can really be in our favor. But the number one prerequisite for travel in 2022 is safety, and this is where we lead the way.

In 2019, we had 1.5 million Turkish tourists and high income travelers. And we want to have no less of them this year.

We want a good tourist, and this is what we strive for. I understand that Turkey can “take away” part of the volume from us, but certainly not the large percentage that we are striving for and which will bring large incomes to the country.

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