Greek Winter Destinations Show Signs of Recovery During Holidays, Says Minister Kikilias

Photo source: Municipality of Ioannina, Region of Epirus.

Greek winter tourism destinations showed signs of recovery during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Monday.

The tourism minister’s announcement came after he contacted the regional governors of Epirus (Alexandros Kachrimanis), Central Greece (Fanis Spanos), the Peloponnese (Panagiotis Nikas), Western Greece (Nektarios Farmakis), Thessaly (Kostas Agorastos) and Western Macedonia (Giorgos Kasapidis).

According to the minister, the regional governors confirmed that the winter destinations in their jurisdiction had high occupancy numbers during the Christmas and New Year periods. They also informed the minister that bookings for the upcoming Epiphany Day (January 6) holiday are at a “very satisfactory” level.

“After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, winter destinations are recovering, something that strengthens the hotel industry as well as the F&B and trade sectors,” the minister said.

Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias.

Kikilias also called for all to pay special attention to health protocols and follow safety rules (with regard to masks, social distancing and hand hygiene), as the Omicron variant is causing an unstable situation around the globe.

Moreover, he informed the regional governors that he will convene the Regional Tourism Council in the near future.

Launched in 2019, the Regional Tourism Council includes Greece’s governors and vice governors from the country’s 13 regions. The council’s aim is to focus on coordinating actions under a single tourism policy, exchange best practices, and resolve problems that the Greek regions face.