From March 1, that is, in two and a half weeks, Greece will open the summer season for foreign tourists and Ukrainians, including. The country’s government, represented by Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias, reminded about this. Apparently, this is how the authorities want to make up for the tourist time lost due to the coronavirus.
Despite the rapid spread of kovid and its new variants, especially the omicron strain, Greece continued to receive a large number of foreign travelers, including our compatriots. In this regard, the official said that how the country copes with the situation with the coronavirus is very important. “The way we dealt with the pandemic was so important that while all the other Mediterranean countries were closed in 2020, we opened up. And last year, when everyone thought that revenues from tourism would be 5-6 billion euros, they reached 10.5-11 billion euros. A huge contribution to the Greek economy and trade, “he said.
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Kikilias recently stressed that the Ministry of Tourism and tourism professionals are trying to reach the pre-pandemic level this year. This explains the desire of the Greek authorities to start the tourist season not in mid-April, as usual, but a month and a half earlier. “I see that the first cruise liner has already left for Thessaloniki and Volos. We will have 765 cruises, 55 percent of which will have a registered office in Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Heraklion and the Greek islands, “said the Minister.
In addition, tour operators and airlines are calling for an increase in the number of seats, ticket reservations and seats for this year by 30-50 percent, which, according to the authorities of the republic, gives encouraging forecasts for the number of tourists. “Last year I brought 1.5 million travelers, this year I want to bring 3 million,” said the CEO of TUI, a German travel company, during his visit to Rhodes.
In pursuit of tourists
According to a study conducted by the Greek Confederation of Tourism (SETE), tourists from Germany, the UK and the US were the main tourists in spending in Greece in the 2019 forecast. A report published by SETE noted that tourists from Germany left about 3 billion euros in 2019, which was a total of 16.7 percent of tourism revenues. According to the Greek authorities, every fourth euro in the country’s economy comes directly or indirectly from tourism and reaches the average Greek family engaged in small and medium-sized businesses: running a restaurant, shop or renting sunbeds.
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On the other hand, with its bold decision, Greece intends to “bite off” part of the pie, which could belong to Turkey – the main competitor to Greek resorts. “The Turkish lira has fallen sharply, and this may indeed be in the hands of the Greek authorities… I understand that part of the volume, we can” take away “Turkey, but certainly not the high percentage we want and which will bring great income to the country,” – the head of department summarized.
Traditionally, the holiday season on most Greek islands begins in April and ends in late October. The peak holiday season in Greece falls between the beginning of July and the end of August, when the temperature rises and the sea warms up to comfortable values - this is when crowds of foreigners and locals come to the Greek islands. The period from December to March is usually considered the cold months for a beach holiday, although even at this time there are many crystal clear, sunny days. The mildest winter climate can be found in Rhodes or in the south-eastern part of Crete. Early spring in Greece is great for walks and photo shoots against the backdrop of wildflowers and green landscapes.
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