Greek travel agents and hospitality sector professionals got a sweet taste of what’s in store for the summer ahead following a rise in tourist numbers and bookings at popular carnival destinations across Greece for the three-day Clean Monday* weekend.
Carnival hotspots this year included Rethymno on Crete with more than 100,000 visitors; Patra, where hotels were fully booked, Xanthi, Amfissa, Galaxidi, Tyrnavos, Naoussa, Komotini, Halkidiki and the island of Syros.
According to the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist & Travel Agencies (FEDHatta), data for the carnival season indicates increased interest in package deals, with many Greek travelers opting to make last-minute bookings. Interest this year has shifted to experiential travel.
FEDHatta notes that activity has picked up pace due to the wide variety of attractive and economic package plans made available by its member tour operators and underlines that it expects the positive momentum to continue into the summer.
* The Clean Monday holiday marks the end of Carnival season and the beginning of Lent.
