Greek Elections to Put Tourism to the Test… Again

Photo @ Hellenic Parliament / Aliki Eleftheriou

Greece’s tourism industry will again have to flex its muscle ahead of yet another election period set for this coming September, in the middle of the fall tourism season, which is expected to see some 5.5 million tourists — roughly translating into 3.2 billion euros — making their way to Greek shores.

According to Greek daily Kathimerini, Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) President Andreas Andreadis estimates that the industry will yet again prove its resiliency but underlines that for it to continue its steady growth, a government that is consistent, strong and efficient must be in place the day after the elections.

The September-October period has grown into one of the most fruitful of the year, with tourists opting to take advantage of lower prices and better weather conditions. SETE expects 3.5 million visitors spending a total of 2.2 billion euros in September alone, and an additional 1 million vacationing in November and December.

Overall, SETE estimates that arrivals for 2015 will remain strong to the end of the year, reaching 25 million and accounting for some 14 billion euros in travel receipts.

However, Andreadis remains cautious and warns that for tourism, one the country’s leading industries, to continue its growth, the government must ensure an attractive investment environment, and adds that incentives must be made available so that hoteliers upgrade their offerings.

SETE’s chief also stressed that the new government will have to immediately tackle illegal accommodation units, promote credit card usage as a tax evasion measure and draw up legal and tax frameworks that will remain unchanged.