Greece Tourism Gradually Covering Lost Ground, Shows INSETE Data

Greece’s tourism industry is slowly but steadily recouping losses incurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data recorded in a special 2021 report released INSETE, the Greek Tourism Confederation’s (SETE) research body.

Despite being a slower year compared to pre-pandemic 2019, Greek hotels managed in 2021 to move up in terms of customer hotel satisfaction. According to the GRI hotel satisfaction index, Greek hotels got a score of 55 and 87.6 percent exceeding 2019’s score of 50 and 87.1 percent.

A closer look at customer comments reveals that satisfaction was high in the areas of food & drink, facilities, staff, experience, cleanliness, beach, service, fun and atmosphere. On the downside, negative remarks concerned rooms and noise, food & drink, facilities – pools – water, and establishment.

Hotel revenue came to 5.5 billion euros in 2021, but still down by 34.9 percent compared to 2019 and 8.4 billion euros.

Last year also saw cruise travel gain lost ground recording 1,960 port calls compared to 3,979 in 2019 and 1.4 million passenger arrival compared to 5.5 million in 2019, INSETE said.

Despite slow recovery, arrivals by air were down by 41.2 percent compared to 2019, by ferry (from Italy) down by 35 percent and by road 67.9 percent.

In terms of employment, in the third quarter of the year (traditionally peak tourist season), employment in accommodation and catering reached 445,000 exceeding Q3 2019 at 429,000.

Globally, according to INSETE, international tourist arrivals increased by 4 percent in 2021 over 2020, but remained down by 72 percent compared to pre-Covid 2019 levels.

Greece was among the countries seeing an upturn in incoming tourist flows welcoming 14.7 million arrivals in 2021 but still down by 53.1 percent over 2019 (31.3 million arrivals) 

Travel receipts were also down by 41.4 percent last year to 10.7 billion euros compared to 18.2 billion euros in 2019, which INSETE attributes to an increase in per capita expenditure by 27 percent from 564 euros to 713 euros compared to 2019.