Industry Reports & Trends

British tour operator Thomas Cook said on Monday that its feedback from its team and returning holidaymakers on Greece has been that it is business as usual in the Greek resorts, with customers continuing to enjoy their holidays without disruption.

Some 8 million travelers went through Athens International Airport gates in the first six months of the year, breaking all records to date.

German tourists are still opting for Greece, the German Travel Association (DRV) said in an announcement on Monday.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) on Monday said that it is “business as usual” in the resorts in Greece and that bars, shops and restaurants are adequately supplied and open as usual.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) includes a ‘worst case scenario’ for Greece in its Monthly Economic Impact report for June 2015.

Following the government’s announcement on June 26 to hold a referendum in Greece, holiday bookings to the country slumped by 17 percent during June 27-30.

Due to the recent developments in Greece, hotel bookings in the country are off by an average 30 to 40 percent, compared to the same period last year.

The number of Greeks booking their holidays for the July-September period has dropped by up to 50 percent, according to online agent Travelplanet24 – airtickets.gr.

Holidaymakers from the US and the UK boosted revenues in Greece by 14.4 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to data released by the Bank of Greece.

As Greece’s tumultuous negotiations continue, international media is casting the spotlight on tourism, the one industry they say is pulling the country up economically.