Greece, which announced record revenues this year, has targeted new tourism markets next year as part of its strategy to mitigate losses suffered by the war in Ukraine.
In particular, the empty place left by the Russians should be filled by the priority markets of the USA, Canada, and Australia, as well as the countries of Latin America and the Middle East, the Greek newspaper Gtp. gr reported concerning the Deputy Minister of Tourism Sofia Zaharaki and the Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO ) of Dimitris Fragakis during the Philoxenia 2022 tourism exhibition last weekend in Thessaloniki.
According to a panel discussion on the issue organized by the Athens News Agency (ANA-MPA), the tourism ministry hopes to compensate for the loss of Russian tourists, who are an essential market source, mainly for northern Greece. According to Zaharaki, new markets are already increasing their presence and average spending.
“2022 turned out to be a very successful year for Greek tourism, given the geopolitical, economic, and post-pandemic uncertainty, which to some extent determined the movement of tourists around the world,” she explained, adding that the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine caused disruptions, canceled plans, paralyzed market and froze previous bookings. “But there were no cancellations,” she added.
The key to attracting travelers to alternative markets is diversification of the tourism product, Fragakis said, noting that geopolitical circumstances have forced tourism players to show flexibility and innovation.
“We reached out to the US and Canada in 2020, before the pandemic, and this year the fruits of our efforts have been visible – about 600,000 Americans have visited Greece so far, and direct flights continue. We are making efforts to open up to the Latin American market, a great market and opportunity for Greece,” he said.
The GNTO Secretary-General added that other external actions include the opening of a GNTO branch in Madrid, the signing of new agreements with airlines connecting Latin American destinations with Greek ones, as well as establishing contacts with Arab countries, Australia and the Greek diaspora. GNTO intends to open a branch in the country in 2023, since, according to short-term forecasts, there is no hope for the flow of Russian tourists.