From Russia With Love: One Million Russian Tourists Expected In Greece This year

“We want to expand our business in Greece beyond the summer season,” the director of commerce of Labirint Travel Company, Tatiana Zotova, said on 25 April during the company’s 7th annual Greek-Russian forum that took place on Corfu.

Director of commerce of Labirint Travel Company, Tatiana Zotova.

For 2013, the company expects to bring some 200,000 Russian tourists to Greece.

Labirint is the largest Russian tour operator working with the Greek market and last year brought 155,000 Russian tourists to Greece and 106,000 in 2011.

In total, one million Russian tourists are expected to arrive in Greece this year.

During the forum, Ms. Zotova expressed her confidence in Greece and the prospect of an even greater increase of Russian tourists.

Some 500 Russian travel agents, 100 Russian journalists and 150 Greek hoteliers attended the forum, which also included special presentations of Greek hotels to Russian travel agents.

Discussions at the forum focused on the trends and prospects of Greek-Russian tourism cooperation while the further increase of the tourist flow from Russia to Greece was explored.

Labirint held their first Greek-Russian forum on Crete in 2008 with 250 participants. In 2009 it was organized in Chalkidiki with 280 participants, in 2010 in Kos with 320, in 2011 in the Peloponnese with 350, and last year in Rhodes with 420 participants.

Le Grand Group of Companies based in Crete is Labirint’s partner in Greece.

ATOR: Russian arrivals to Greece to jump 30 percent

Russian tour operators say they expect Greece to see at least 30 percent growth in tourist arrivals from Russia this year.

According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), results of early bookings for Greece have allowed to draw conclusions about good prospects for the summer season on the destination.

ATOR said tour packages to Greece have been selling actively since February and March and the number of multi-visas issued by the Consulate General of Greece has increased since last year.