Greek hoteliers are deeply concerned about the British government’s decisions to postpone the opening of the UK border to mid-July, but fortunately there are also Germans.
The latest announcements of the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for postponement of the lifting of the restrictions on July 19, instead of June 21, “froze” once again the British tourism industry and with it the smile of the Greek hoteliers in the Ionian Islands, but also Rhodes, Kos, Crete and other destinations that have welcomed hundreds of thousands of British tourists in the last years before the pandemic.
However, on the other hand, it should be noted that in practice little is changing, at the moment, as the British who arrive in our country so far are few compared to the good years before the pandemic, due to the restrictions already imposed by England with the “traffic light” system.
It is reminded that the Briton who returns home from Greece enters a 10-day quarantine and is obliged to take two tests. Therefore, in practice, the further course of the English arrivals in Greece is connected with the announcements of June 21 for the ranking of the countries in a green, orange or red list by the competent Ministry of Great Britain.
Many tourism players consider that Greece will certainly stay on the orange list, after the recent announcements about the British lockdown.
Waiting for tourism from Great Britain
However, there are those who argue that we should wait. Among them is the president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Giannis Retsos, who explains that “the extension of domestic restrictive measures in the UK should not be confused with restrictions on British travel abroad. Tourism is an anxiety for the course of the British market, but let us not prejudge before the next evaluation”.
It is noted that the compilation of the list has to do with the epidemiological data presented by each country and not the course of the pandemic in the United Kingdom.
The epidemiological data of our country have significantly improved and this was made known by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to his British counterpart Boris Johnson, in a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
In anticipation of the next assessment of the British Government, Greece continues to welcome a small number of British and many German tourists.
The Germans in Crete
As noted on ot.gr, by the president of the Hotel Owners Association of Heraklion, Mr. Nikos Chalkiadakis, two planes a week from Great Britain fly to Heraklion this year when in the good years there were 60-70 flights.
On the contrary, more than 23,000 Germans arrived in Heraklion last weekend, as they have done almost every weekend lately. He estimated that July, after the first ten days, will be a very good month for Crete.
The Germans save the lot in many destinations Characteristically it is mentioned that in the first weekend of June more than 8,200 tourists arrived in Rhodes with 50% of them being Germans. The British market always remains the first tourist market for Rhodes. It is indicative that in 2019, 470,000 British and 420,000 Germans were hosted on the island. In 2020 the British reached 170,000 but the Germans were a little more (186,000).
Also the data from Fraport for the 14 Greek airports it controls also show that in May there were more than 400 flights from German airports which means one flight per airport per day.
Of these 50 flights were to Corfu, also 50 flights to Kos, 70 flights to Rhodes 30 flights to Chania, 20 flights to Santorini etc.
It is worth noting that according to Fraport data at 14 airports the arrivals of German passengers are over 50% of the total passengers. The latest figures for April show arrivals of around 10,000 Germans out of a total of 19,000 passengers.
Latest News
ELSTAT: Greek Health Expenditures Reach €5.89 Billion in 2022
Finally, healthcare financing as a percentage of GDP decreased to 8.5% in 2022 from 9.18% in 2021, as per the Health Accounts System report.
Sonoco Paper Mill Plants Close After 30 Years in Greece
The shut down of the two paper mills in northern Greece comes a week after a glass plant closed in Athens
BoG: Private Deposits Down by 1.068bln Euros in Feb. 2024
Corporate deposits decreased by 912 million euros, compared to a decrease of 3.167 billion euros in the previous month
Greeks’ Buying Power Second Lowest in the EU
Greeks’ purchasing power is under pressure, ranking 26th among 27 EU member states.
Greek FinMin Says Digital Work Card Tackling Undeclared Work
Greece's recently launched digital work card aimed at tackling undeclared labor has already started to produce results, said Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis
MSC Cruises: More than 400 Visits to Nine Greek Destinations
MSC Cruises, a subsidiary of international shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A, will be sailing to Greek ports as of this month, expanding operations in the region year-round
Eurostat: Greece Among Cheaper Hourly Labor Cost Zones
In contrast, the countries that posted the highest hourly labor costs are Luxembourg (53.9 euros), Norway (51.9 euros), Iceland
GSEVEE: Economic Sentiment Indicator in Greece Down in Q2 2023
The drop follows a significant uptick in the ESI in the second half of 2022 (69.5 units) and a slight decline in the first half of 2023 (66.7 units)
Manpower Report: Sectors in Greece that Have Achieved Full Gender Equality in the Workplace
Greece surpasses this with 45%, showcasing progress but also room for improvement. Sectors like Consumer Goods and Services lead with 69% reporting full equality globally
Bank of America (BofA): Three Reasons Greek Economy Outperforms EC Average
BofA projects growth of 1.1% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025, compared to forecasts for eurozone growth at 0.4%/1.1%, respectively