This week travel experts discuss the need for Greece to adapt in the wake of COVID-19. Also, a new report suggests Europeans are optimistic about traveling as vaccines roll out. And in economic news, the IMF is projecting growth of the Greek economy in spite of the pandemic’s damaging effects.
A Bank of Greece Governor’s Annual Report 2020 tells Greek tourism stakeholders they will need to adapt to the heightened competition brought on by the pandemic. The experts say travelers are looking at a whole new set of destination selection criteria before choosing which places they will visit. A key determinant, bank analysts say, will be the speed at which Greece rolls out COVID-19 vaccines.
A European Travel Commission (ETC) announcement this week reveals that almost half of Europeans have a positive outlook about traveling this year. “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 6”, shows some 48 percent of Europeans are thinking positively about vacationing on account of vaccine availability and safety-driven strategies by EU nations. The weekly report shows 56 percent of Europeans are thinking positively about summer vacations now. The study also reveals Poles and Italians as the most positive where summer travel 2021 is concerned.
Finally, the latest IMF World Economic Outlook report forecasts Greek GDP growth will reach 6.9 percent by the final quarter of 2021. According to the IMF, Greece has been less severely impacted than other EU countries. Across Europe, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden markets close with sharp to moderate gains on the IMF news.