Tourists Turn Away From Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki recorded the most losses in foreign arrivals and turnover during the first ten months of 2010, Aristotelis Thomopoulos, president of the Hotel Association of Thessaloniki, said recently.

According to official figures, overnights in Thessaloniki dropped 12-13 percent during the first ten months of 2010 and the annual occupancy of hotels in the city did not exceed 42 percent. As a result, a 20 percent decline in turnover was recorded for the second consecutive year.

Similarly, the travel agencies of Macedonia-Thrace saw a reduction in turnover, according to the travel agencies association’s president, Dimitris Mantousis.

“However, road tourism is booming as 60 percent of travelers from Serbia and FYROM arrived in Greece,” Mr. Mantousis said.

Nevertheless, he mentioned that due to the completion of the Egnatia highway most travelers drove to the coast of western Greece and the Ionian Islands but not to Chalkidiki or Pieria.