According to Greece’s Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, via an interview with Open TV, from September 13 to September 19, the occupancy rate of tourist accommodation and hotels across the country reached 63 percent.
Kikilia also confirmed that Greece was the top destination for French tourists in June, with an increase of 88 percent in the number of visitors compared to 2019 and an 18 percent rise in revenues for the country. In July, Greece surpassed even France itself as a destination for French tourists, even though the French people traditionally prefer domestic tourism. He also said:
“To understand the size of the demand that now exists for the country, the German airline Condor will also operate flights to Crete in November. For the first time in the history of the French Republic, Greece in July, according to the data of France’s tourist organization, became the first destination country, even above the domestic tourism of France.”
Kikilias mentioned the coming tourist season, saying that Jet2, the largest tour operator in the British market, is asking to offer destinations in Greece and Athens from next April. He stressed:
“The British aspire to bring the tourist season earlier. Most of the tourist accommodation and especially that of high level on all our islands and in the tourist destinations are busy and this will continue in October and November.”
In other news, the Greek Τourism Μinistry and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) will be launching two campaigns to promote Greece as a winter and spring destination. According to Kikilias, the first campaign is ready to run in November, December and January showcasing winter options, while the second is almost ready for early spring when many package holidays are finalized.