The newspaper points out that the recovery of the sector, in a country heavily dependent on tourism, has surprised even the most optimistic, recalling that the pandemic and its consequences resulted in a drop in revenues from 18.2 billion euros to 18.2 billion euros.
This year, however, despite the unexpected shadow of war following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the figures show that the sector is recovering. For the first time since 2019, cruise ships are docking in Greek ports again, proof, according to sector executives, that travelers are eager to put the pandemic behind them. Air ticket bookings have also increased.
"The season has started earlier than ever," said Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, noting that the first direct flight from the United States, a key market for the Greek economy, took place on March 7. "It's a vote of confidence for our country," he added."
"All the omens are positive," Andreas Andreadis, an executive at the successful Sani/Ikos luxury hotel group, told the Guardian. "For a few weeks after the war in Ukraine started demand dropped, but since the end of March it has picked up and now it's excellent," he added. Tourists, he explained, are not interested in travelling to distant destinations, preferring to stay in Europe. "And the truth is that there is not much choice in terms of quality destinations."
The newspaper notes that the tourist season started earlier this year in Greece, with the country aiming to capitalise on people's thirst for travel. It also recalls that last week it was announced that restrictions imposed because of the pandemic would be lifted from 1 May and reviewed in September.
The decision to open the tourist season earlier seems to have paid off, the Guardian writes: bookings soared at Easter. Airlines are competing to secure more flights to Greece this summer and, as the tourism minister said, 765 cruise ships want to call at various ports and popular island destinations such as Mykonos, Kos and Corfu are already attracting large crowds.
"It's a fact found in all studies that people don't just want to travel, they need to travel," said Eugenios Vassilikos, the vice president of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers. "Everything points to it being a very good year," he added.
By 2023, Athens will have added another 5,000 hotel rooms compared to 2019, when the capital, which tourists once bypassed to head to the islands, managed to attract 5 million visitors. The investment frenzy, evident in the boom in construction projects that are changing the face of downtown Athens, is also indicative of the hopes that business leaders are pinning on the rebirth of Greece's "heavy industry".
Source: skai.gr
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