WTM 2013: Greece Sees Upward Trend In Early Bookings From UK Market

President of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Andreas Andreadis.

“Greece not only has made a big comeback this year but is also moving full steam ahead for 2014,” the president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Andreas Andreadis, told GTP Headlines on 5 November, the second day of the World Travel Market in London.

Following talks with leading British tour operators, Mr. Andreadis has concluded that early bookings from the UK market to Greece for next year’s tourism season are up 10 percent compared with 2013.

This is a first sample of 200,000 bookings, a number that constitutes some 10 percent of the total expected visitors from the UK.

Mr. Andreadis said that this is the first year that Greece is gaining market share compared to main competitors Spain and Turkey, where bookings are at the same levels as the previous season. Meanwhile, bookings to Egypt are showing a “serious decline.”

SETE’s president stressed that if other markets show similar signs during the early booking period then it is very possible for Greece to achieve the 2014 target of 18 million arrivals and 13 billion euros in direct revenue (including profits from cruises).