UK bookings show small rise for now
The 350,000 Greek holiday bookings already made for next year by British tourists may only account for a 1.3 percent share of annual incoming tourism but they do point to a small increase, the head of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) said.
Speaking from the World Travel Market in London, Andreas Andreadis explained to Kathimerini that the rise seen to date is largely due to the significant discounts Greek hoteliers are offering the UK market. Another reason is the continuing problems in Turkey.
However, Andreadis added that the early bookings which have been made are not yet a certain indication of how the 2017 tourism season will go. After all, they only represent 15 percent of all bookings for next year from the British market. It also only concerns a very small sample out of the total of 27.5 million foreign tourists Greece receives on an annual basis. It is mainly bookings made from January to March 2017 that will allow for safe conclusions.
The Greek tourism industry is particularly concerned about revenues next year, given the prospect of a British exit from the European Union which has rendered Greek package holidays more expensive for Britons.
