Greece has High Hopes for Tourism in 2023

Greece will begin welcoming foreign visitors early in 2023 as the tourism season is expected to officially kick off in March just like it did in 2022 and much earlier than previous years, according to Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, the minister said the aim for 2023 will be for Greek tourism to capitalize on the strong momentum it developed in 2022 with revenues from the industry expected to have surpassed 18 billion euros.

In this framework, the Tourism Ministry will continue its efforts to attract visitors all 12 months of the year.

“The extension of the tourism season has begun and efforts are continuing for year round tourism,” the minister said, reminding that Delta Airlines continued its scheduled flights to Greece on the New York-Athens seasonal route last year through to January 10, 2023.

Delta will relaunch flights in two months (March) while other US carriers such as American Airlines and United are expected to follow.

Last year Greece saw nine direct connections a day between Greece and America’s largest airports, adding up to 63 flights per week. Routes include Emirates’ Athens-Newark all year round daily direct connection.

According to ministry sources, more airlines and tour operators are looking towards Greece this year, a development which is expected to lead Greek tourism towards further growth.

Agreements with airlines

Aiming to boost Greek tourism during the months of low demand and attracting travelers 12 months a year, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) recently entered into long-term agreements with 10 airlines. According to the agreements, the airlines will add more routes or maintain their existing flights to Greek destinations also during the winter months. According to reports, these airlines include AEGEAN Airlines, SKY express, Jet2.com, Easy Jet, Wizz Air, British Airways, Eurowings, BlueBird Airways, Sun d’ Or and TUS Airways.

Early bookings point to a strong season

While 2023 has just begun, early bookings are showing that travelers are shifting their interest from Western European countries to other destinations with Greece noticed to be at the center of demand.

Although it is still early in the year, ministry sources see early bookings for Greece this year pointing to a strong season.

This trend is in line with the Greek government’s goal to attract travelers throughout the year and highlight alternative destinations in the country for both foreigners and Greek travelers.

Summer campaign coming soon

The Greek Tourism Ministry and the GNTO this spring will launch a new campaign for 2023 to promote the Greek summer, Kikilias informed without going into further detail.

Meanwhile, the campaigns launched last year that promote Greece as a city break and winter destination are still running.

Tourism for All: Gov’t continues to boost domestic tourism

During his briefing to journalists, Kikilias also highlighted that the government is continuing its support to boost domestic tourism and attract Greeks to winter and mountain destinations in the country.

Within the framework of the Tourism for All program, which aims to boost domestic tourism especially in the months of low demand, another draw will be held for 125,000 digital vouchers, which will cover a portion of vacation costs (accommodation, transport and F&B) at Greek destinations. At the same time, business owners will be compensated immediately.

According to data from the ministry, so far, alternative and non-island destinations have seen a boost in visitors since the launch of the program.

Most popular destinations for Greeks

Ioannina, Greece.

For 2022, from the summer until December 31, the most popular destinations for Greek travelers through the Tourism for All program were located in Central Macedonia, the Peloponnese, Attica and Thessaly.

Moreover, destinations that saw a greater positive change in the winter months were in Western Greece, Western Macedonia, Thessaly and the Northern Aegean.

In terms of destinations, the big cities (Athens, Thessaloniki) stood out, as well as the more alternative destinations of Tolo, Ioannina, Edipsos, Thassos, Kalavryta and Kastoria.