The carnival events that peak next weekend will provide a winter breather for large urban centers, inland destinations and islands this year, in combination with the Ash Monday holiday that marks the beginning of Lent, becoming a magnet for Greek visitors even before the next big “outing” of excursionists for the Easter period.
Demand is, on average, at last year’s levels, and hotel occupancy rates in major carnival destinations, such as Patras and Rethymno, exceed 80%, with reservations, in many cases, having already begun at the end of 2024.
However, an “asterisk” that can have a catalytic effect on the number of visitors to destinations, especially island destinations, is that on February 28, there will be problems and cancellations in ship and flight itineraries due to the participation of the Panhellenic Maritime Federation (PNO) and the Union of Air Traffic Officers of Greece (EEEKE) in the 24-hour Panhellenic Strike of the GSEE and ADEDY for Tempi.
Patras hotels are almost full
Demand for the largest carnival in Greece, that of Patras, is high this year again. Demand is concentrated in the last three days and has already begun to manifest itself before Christmas, the president of the Hoteliers’ Association of Achaia Prefecture, Mr. Dimitris Diamantopoulos, tells tornosnews.gr.
As Mr. Diamantopoulos pointed out, the occupancy rates of hotels located within the city exceed 90%, and in some cases, even 95%.
A large number of visitors are students and young people, who usually stay in student houses.
Hotel prices are slightly higher than last year, but remain within reasonable limits, said Mr. Diamantopoulos, while at the last minute, hotels located a little outside the city are also expected to be satisfactorily full, serving the needs of those who decide to travel at the last minute for the carnival.
Rethymno: Hotel occupancy at 80%
In Rethymno, demand is at about last year’s levels and slightly higher than in 2019. Occupancies in accommodations that are open during this period are approaching 80%, stressed the president of the Rethymno Prefecture Hoteliers Association, Mr. Emmanouil Tsakalakis.
There is still availability of beds, for all budgets, for those who wish to travel at the last minute, says Mr. Tsakalakis, in the total of 2,000 hotel beds that are “open” at this time of year in the destination, with Rethymno’s capacity increasing if short-term rentals are added.
Naoussa: Trend for two-day stays
In Imathia, the Naoussa carnival is also attracting high demand, with traffic expected to be slightly slower than last year as many cities host carnival events.
As the president of the Imathia Prefecture Hoteliers Association, Mr. Dimitris Mantsios, underlines, that hotel occupancy rates, based on reservations, are already at 90%-95%, so by the end of the week they are expected to reach 98%.
A differentiating factor compared to last year is that this year there is demand for many two-day stays, while in 2024 the majority of demand was for three-day stays. This year, demand is very high for Saturday and Sunday, and Friday occupancy rates are limited to 60%-65%, explained Mr. Mantsios. Besides, hotel prices, as he said, have not yet recovered to 2019 levels.
Zante: Impressive carnival events, but negative timing
However, the island destinations, which host a wealth of carnival events with a special character, seem to be affected this year by the strike of February 28, while further promotion of the thematic events of this period is considered necessary.
In Zakynthos, with its special carnival customs, the glamorous event of the Venetian wedding, with Western European elements, and with impressive costumes, there is great scope for the further promotion of the destination within the framework of its carnival events.
However, this year the timing is discouraging for visitors to the island in the coming three days. As the president of the Laganas Hoteliers Association of Zakynthos, Ms. Christina Tetradi, points out, due to the 24-hour nationwide strike on February 28, with ships tied up and flight problems, “it is a question of whether the 1,000 beds that operate in total, of which 600 are hotel beds, will be filled.”
Furthermore, Ms. Tetradi points out that Zakynthos airport will remain closed for repairs by Fraport Greece and is set to open on Saturday, significantly limiting the time horizon of staying on the island for those who planned to visit it at the height of the carnival events.
Building the Carnival Identity of Corfu
In Corfu, efforts continue to emerge as a carnival destination. We seek to highlight Corfu as a carnival destination that offers events with a mix of Venetian and traditional carnival, and we point out the president of the Corfu Hoteliers Association, Mr. Charalambos Voulgaris.
The city offers affordable accommodation for those who choose to travel to the island for a spree. In Corfu town, about 10 hotels remain open at this time, as the majority of the units are seasonal.
Corfu is still being built as a carnival destination and wants to acquire its own thematic identity for this period in order to attract visitors exclusively for the carnival in the future, emphasizes Mr. Voulgaris.
Concerns about the increased resilience fee
Hoteliers are also concerned about the very high increase in the climate crisis resilience fee (formerly the accommodation fee) after March, with the result, for example, that three-star hotels will be charged from 1.5 euros to 5 euros, and four-star hotels will be charged 10 euros.
This fact already worries us, points out the president of the Imathia Tourist Board, noting that while hotel units will not raise their prices, the cost passed on to the customer who used the room will be increased as a result of the imposition of the increased fee.
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