TUI, Thomas Cook Say Brisk Demand for Greece

Kos, Dodecanese Islands

Greece is the word according to global tour giants TUI and Thomas Cook, who are backing their claim with hard data. Bookings have increased as the hotter months draw near with both companies expanding their Greek market share.

Alltours joins Thomas Cook and TUI, which says the number of reservations for Greek destinations has grown by 20 percent. To tap into the demand, the German operator increased its share in Greece by 23 percent this year.

Thomas Cook, meanwhile, speaks of an excellent year ahead, adding that its Greek island partners on Kos and Corfu are fully booked. The UK company said earlier this year that bookings for holidays in Greece were up by as much as 40 percent compared to last year.

Corfu Island, Ionian Islands

More than 30 million tourists are expected to visit Greece this year, including cruise passengers, with tourism-related revenues estimated at reaching 14.5 billion euros.

Tourism sector professionals are also seeing an increase in the cost of package deals at popular Mediterranean destinations including the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Spain and the Greek islands.