September 19, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

August 15: Islands, Peloponnese and Halkidiki are overcrowded. Cost of living

The time is approaching when all Greeks without exception are going on vacation. This is the tradition – to have a rest only in August. Therefore, it is logical that all hotels, tourist accommodation and rooms were booked in advance.

Advance bookings reach 100% on many island destinations in the country on August 15th, and especially for the period 13/8 – 18/8. A high percentage of pre-bookings is also recorded in tourist destinations in mainland Greece, with clear “leaders” – the Peloponnese and Halkidiki, areas preferred by residents of Northern Hellas and the Balkans.

The data is presented in a report by the Panhellenic Real Estate Network E-RealEstates, which analyzed information from websites that list properties for short-term rentals or marked EOT (tourist accommodation).

Pre-booking on the island of winds in Mykonos reaches 94%, while the total number of registered properties on it is only 2046. The cost of a five-night stay is 2403 euros for a house of 110 sq. sqm is available for 2228 euros for five nights.

According to Themistoklis Bakas, President of E-Real Estates, in Santorini, pre-booking for August 15 reaches 98%, and the total capacity of the island for properties registered on short-term rental platforms reaches 2189. There are few options now, and the cost is set at the level 1530 euros for a house of 35 sq. M in the Kamari area.

Advance booking on Ithaca and Patmos for 15 August
On Skiathos, pre-booking reaches 96% (a total of 275 declared tourist properties), on Skopelos 98% with 371 properties, in Paros 99% with 1640 tourist facilities, in Zakynthos 95% (1521 properties), in Kefalonia 97% (1785 properties) , on Ithaca 100% (116 objects), however, as well as on Patmos (189 objects).

High pre-booking rates are also recorded in Crete, reaching 96% for rented apartments and / or houses located close to the sea. It should be noted that there are 13,965 properties registered in Crete on platforms, both in coastal areas and in urban centers.

The first place in the advance booking in August, among the main tourist destinations of the mainland, is the Peloponnese.
On it, according to the international short-term rental platform, in the period from 13 to 18 August, pre-booking reaches 99%, while the total capacity of short-term rental platforms is 3613 objects, and in the Western region of Greece 92% with 1161 properties.

The impressive occupancy rate applies to apartments and / or villas. “An important factor in pricing and completeness is the flexible cancellation policy adopted by almost all short-term rental platforms in the last 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. As for the possible local locks that may be introduced depending on the course of the pandemic, they further increase the demand, ”explained Mr. Bakas.

“Road travel” thrives in mainland Greece – tourists come to Greece from all over Europe
This year, car tourism is experiencing a new boom, both from domestic tourism and from foreigners choosing our country for summer vacations.

In the summer of 2020, many Europeans chose not to use public transport (planes, trains, buses) due to the pandemic, which led to a significant increase in car travel. Experts note that many citizens of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, Finland and some other countries come to Greece by cars.

Epidemiological situation and sanitary protocol

“Health data, public health measures, and potential restrictions could affect reservations on popular island destinations and encourage both local and foreign tourists to choose destinations in mainland Greece,” notes the President of E-RealEstates, stressing that 2020 was a different year for the entire global community, a summer full of problems, with losses that reached 77.12% compared to 2019 for the Greek economy, and tourism receipts were only 4.28 billion euros, according to the Bank of Greece. In the summer of 2020, 77% fewer tourists visited the country compared to 2019.

“We all want to believe that this year will be good for the health of the world and the economy of our country, because, according to the World Tourism Organization and the World Bank, tourism accounts for 21% of GDP,” Mr. Bakas summed up his speech.





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