Meliá Hotels: Rise in Bookings for Crete and Rhodes During 2023

Sol by Meliá Cosmopolitan Rhodes.

Spanish hospitality giant Melia Hotels International on Monday said it has observed a consistent upward trend in tourism in Greece, with bookings for 2023 showing a significant increase compared to 2022.

Recent data from the group’s resorts on the islands of Crete and Rhodes revealed a notable surge in pre-bookings from the beginning of the year through March, reaching an increase of up to +200 percent in certain cases. Overall, bookings for the year escalated by as much as 40 percent.

According to the group’s statistics, Romania, Poland, France, and the Scandinavian countries continued to lead in reservations for Crete and Rhodes.

The data pertains to the activity observed at Meliá Hotels International’s accommodations on Rhodes – Sol by Meliá Cosmopolitan Rhodes – and on Crete – Sol Marina Beach Crete – and Hotel Blue Sea Beach Affiliated by Meliá.

Specifically, both Crete and Rhodes were consistently favoured destinations by travellers from Romania. Simultaneously, travellers from Poland expressed notable interest in Rhodes, while France stood out as one of the main markets for Crete.

Booking landscape compared to 2022

Hotel Blue Sea Beach Affiliated by Meliá.

According to the data from Meliá Hotels International for Rhodes, there was an observed increase in bookings compared to the previous year: +14 percent from French tourists, +40 percent from Polish visitors, and a notable +26 percent from Scandinavian countries. Meanwhile, a decrease in bookings was observed from the German market at -8 percent and the United Kingdom at -5 percent. Additionally, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) on Rhodes increased by 9 percent, although occupancy slightly dropped from 87 percent to 86 percent, a change influenced by the wildfires the island faced.

Regarding Crete, bookings from key markets showed an increase compared to 2022: +7 percent from the United Kingdom, +5 percent from Germany, +44 percent from Romania, +8.8 percent from Poland, and +17 percent from France. Meanwhile, interest from Scandinavian countries remained consistent compared to the previous year. Furthermore, Crete experienced a +5 percent increase in ADR, with occupancy rising from 86 percent to 89 percent.

Crete and Rhodes seem to maintain their lead in the markets of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Scandinavia throughout 2023. Forecasts have been notably positive since the beginning of the year, with pre-bookings, particularly from Germany, doubling compared to 2022.