Greece Achieves Higher Traveler Spending in 2021, Sees Promising 2022 

Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Greece managed to achieve 600 euros in spending per traveler in 2021, reflecting the sector’s resilience and serving as a prime example of a sustainable tourism model that can be implemented across the country, said Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias this week.

Speaking to SKAI television, Kikilias said it was “a sample of a sustainable tourism model we want to implement and a framework that will when implemented in every region of the country contribute to the upgrade of our [tourism] product and generate more revenue”.

The minister expressed optimism for the year ahead citing “encouraging” data in that direction. He referred to an agreement reached this week with Apollo Travel Group, one of Scandinavia’s largest tour operators working Greek destinations, which plans to bring some 500,000 travelers to Greece.

The same company, a member Germany’s second largest operator, DER Touristik, opened a hotel focused on offering sports tourism options in Syvota and this year will be inaugurating a new hotel on Limnos and investing in winter tourism in Epirus.

Along the same lines, DER Touristik will help Greece extend the tourism season in 2022 to include October, November and December, committing to increase arrivals to Greece by 20 percent over 2019 levels, said Kikilias, adding that March would be a starting point.

Photo source: ncl.com

The minister also referred to a deal with cruise giant Norwegian Cruise Line, which will again operate out of Piraeus as a home port. Kikilias said Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) was forecasting a 50 percent increase in cruise activity in Greece starting earlier on March 15 this year.

A good new year is a reality and is a visible goal for 2022, he concluded.