Hotels full at popular destinations
Tourism traffic to the majority of popular winter destinations in Greece has remained at the same level as last year this Christmas, with occupancy rates ranging between 85 and 100 percent. In contrast, the number of Greeks traveling abroad for the Christmas vacation has declined by 10 percent, according to the Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agents (HATTA). The president of the association, Argyro Fili, told Kathimerini that bookings for trips abroad showed a rise in the last few days before Christmas, making up for most of the reduction initially seen in early December. Last year some 100,000 Greeks spent their vacations abroad. In Greece popular destinations seemed unaffected by the international crisis. The president of the association of hoteliers at Arachova, close to Delphi in central Greece, says occupancy rates came to 95-100 percent over Christmas. For New Year’s Day, the rates were already at 85 percent on Christmas Eve. In the neighboring prefecture of Evrytania rates came to 100 percent. Magnesia reported 85-90 percent, with Florina and Kalavryta at 100 percent.
