In spite of the current economic climate, many Greeks have opted to travel during the festive season, especially to the traditional winter holiday destinations in the country. Bookings are comparable to the pre-pandemic years, while according to Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki, in a statement to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, several popular destinations are already “sold out”.
“The very reasonable fear about the possible impact of the economic pressure on the holiday plans of the Greeks was followed by satisfaction over the highly increased interest in bookings, to the point where several areas of the country are already sold out,” Zacharaki said.
She also reported strong tourist traffic in cities but also fully-booked flights to a majority of Greek destinations, with crowds visiting the Christmas theme parks, while there was also a strong trend for alternative holiday activities.
The ministry’s goal is to increase absorption of the existing vouchers from the “Tourism for All” program, as they can be used without any restriction at any accommodation in Greece, with direct payment of the tourist enterprise and without red tape, she noted..
According to the FedHatta president Lysandros Tsilidis, favorite destinations are Zagorochoria, Tzoumerka, Tria-Pente Pigadia, Drama, Trikala, Seli, Lake Plastira, Meteora, Pilio, Pertouli, and Elati, as well as Arachova and the mountainous regions of the Peloponnese and Monemvasia.
Several Greeks are also opting to spend the holidays abroad, especially in Europe, while some will head to warmer climes, such as Dubai, Morocco, Turkey, India, or Latin America.
One factor that has boosted bookings is the vouchers for winter tourism, though there are concerns about a slump in the period after the holidays.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
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