Tourism: into the new year 2023 with the best results

The first reports about the tourism sector in the new season of 2023 are very positive. Optimism was noted for even better results in 2022, which for many regions of the country are now the basis for comparison for the future, as they exceeded the record figures of earlier 2019 in terms of tourist arrivals and total income brought to the state treasury.

In an interview with the Athens Macedonian News Agency, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers, Grigoris Tassios, released the first reports of “early bookings” from foreign guests already received for the summer.

According to him, the first big “early pre-booking” package showed that citizens of Great Britain and France, as well as residents of the Balkans, will come to Greece to rest. Orders from Germany and Poland have so far been “creeping” while the dynamic US market is looking to start flights to Greece in March.

Kikilias: Direct flights from the US will generate over $1 billion in revenue in 2023

The next date for summer reservations is March 31, when there will be a more complete picture of the summer season, Mr. Tassios emphasized. In any case, Greece will have exactly the same number of arrivals as in 2022, while there is also widespread optimism for a better economic outcome (tourism revenue).

As for the prices of travel packages offered by Greek hotels for 2023, they are increased by 10%, percentages that offset the price index, as Mr. Tassios explains. As for the cost of electricity for businesses, the president of ΠΟΞ notes that they will remain the same. Although hotel companies are already working on installing (or connecting) to alternative energy sources to cope with increased costs.

Focusing on regions that have outperformed even 2019 in either arrivals or tourism revenue, Konstantina Swinou, President of the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasting and President of Kos Hoteliers, noted that first booking numbers so far indicate that the year will be better than 2022. th.

Ms. Swinow repeated that, unfortunately, Greece’s mountainous destinations are not paying an equal dividend in the country’s broader tourism development, which was also seen in 2022.

At the same time, the President of the Drama Hoteliers Union, Angelos Kallias, stressed that in the near future actions are being prepared to promote the mountainous regions of Greece. In any case, there is optimism that now the European citizen will understand: Greece offers itself for tourism throughout the year, since its portfolio includes other tourism products besides the beach and sea model.

Regarding the forecasts of sea tourism and especially cruises, the Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias noted that according to the data, the number of cruises will increase again this year. The port of Piraeus is estimated to have recorded an increase compared to 2022, which was also a very good year with numbers higher than 2019.

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