Upward Trend for Easter, Summer Bookings in Greece

Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias

Tourism to Greece is showing positive signs of post-Covid recovery with bookings for Easter and the summer on the rise, said Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias on Monday.

Referring to Athens and Thessaloniki occupancy levels for the Easter period, Kikilias told SKAI television that the ministry’s strategy to bring visitors to Greece earlier this year was paying off.

Other areas seeing satisfactory booking levels include Corfu, a traditional Easter destination, where occupancy is at 90 percent, Santorini over 80 percent, Paros at 80 percent, on mainland Greece in Kalamata and the Zagori villages over 80 percent, while on Crete, 40 percent of the hotels have opened thanks to an increasing number of flights arriving earlier this year.

Easter on Corfu. Photo source: @Visit Greece

Commenting on the positive feedback, the minister underlined the importance of the industry for regional development. “Our small islands and mountainous areas are attracting investment and keeping their population at home thanks to tourism-related income,” he said. 

“Tourism is the economy of the people and revenues from tourism go directly into the real economy, supporting the disposable income of Greeks and small and medium sized enterprises,” he said.