Bookings to Greece from Austria Heat Up at Ferien-Messe Wien 2023 Trade Fair

Representatives of the GNTO and Greek exhibitors at the Greek stand at the Ferien-Messe Wien exhibition. Photo source: GNTO

Greece is a leading holiday destination for Austrian travelers this year, according to data gathered during the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) participation in Ferien-Messe Wien 2023 trade fair in Vienna.

Top Greek destinations for Austrian tourists are Crete and Rhodes, followed by Kos, Corfu, Karpathos and Zakynthos. Epirus on the mainland is also winning over travelers. New among travel locations are Skyros, Limnos, Sifnos and Thessaly, thanks to a weekly flight from Vienna to Volos.

Bookings from Austrian market for holidays in Greece up 10% over 2019 levels

According to feedback provided by Austrian tour operators, demand for holidays in Greece this year are rising. Meanwhile, prebookings for Greece during the four days of the Ferien-Messe Wien 2023 were up by 20 percent compared to the same period a year ago and by 10 percent over pre-Covid 2019. Austrian tour operators, travel agents and airline executives confirmed the news in their meetings with the GNTO Austria branch.

Sifnos, Greece. Photo: GTP.

Indicatively, according to TUI “Greece remains the undisputed favorite” for the summer of 2023, followed by Spain and Turkey. Tour companies Billa Reisen, Dertour and Ruefa also confirmed the news. Meanwhile, according to agencies specializing in senior travel, approximately 6,000 traveling pensioners will be visiting Halkidiki in April and May as part of tour operators’ spring program.

According to the GNTO, Austria is the only country with direct flights to 21 Greek destinations: Athens, Thessaloniki/Halkidiki, Kavala, Volos, Skiathos, Skyros, Preveza, Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Araxos, Kalamata, Rhodes, Kos, Karpathos, Samos, Limnos, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, and Chania.

Karpathos. Visit Greece.

Co-exhibiting under the GNTO umbrella stand in Vienna were the regions of Central Greece, Western Greece, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaly, Epirus, Crete; the islands of Karpathos and Sifnos; the Halkidiki Tourism Organization; hotel groups Aldemar and Creta Maris; and the Panhellenic Camping Association.

Austrian State Secretary for Tourism, Susanne Kraus-Winkler visited the GNTO stand during the fair.