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Most Greeks don't have the money to vacation for even a week

Most Greeks don't have the money to vacation for even a week

Against the background of the disappointing data for hotel occupancy in July (25% nationwide) and the "numbness" from the weak trends prescribed for August and September, the professionals of the tourism industry will make efforts to stimulate, at least, domestic tourism. In addition to the reduced VAT, which applies to air and ferry tickets and the "enhanced" social tourism packages, hotels are preparing discount packages, waging that this way will attract those still hesitant. Unfortunately, things are not so simple.

Tourism: Insufficient income puts a "brake" on holidays, 1 in 2 cannot cope financially
Undoubtedly, the anxiety or fear caused by the coronavirus acts as a deterrent, but the data of Eurostat and ELSTAT reveal another weak point of domestic tourism: the lack of sufficient income for a vacation of even one week.

The crisis of previous years has caused a "bleeding" in family budgets, which have been forced to revise goals and priorities. Thus, according to the comparative study of Eurostat, in 2019 - that is, before the coronavirus even appeared - 49% of Greeks said that they simply cannot make ends meet financially to take a week off. This is the second worst household situation in Europe, after Romania (54%), with an average of 29% in the European Union. But there are worse messages than this comparative test.

First of all, these trends - at least according to Eurostat - will continue during 2020, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Moreover, while in the whole of Europe there has been a decrease in this percentage since 2010 (it was 39%), in Greece (and in Italy) there is an increase. Specifically, in 2010, 46.3% of Greeks said they could not take a week off, rising to 52.8% in 2012, declining in 2013, jumping to 53.7% in 2015 and since then decreasing, but at a slower pace.

Tourism: Looking for free accommodation
The ... icing on the bitter "cake" are the data of ELSTAT, where in addition to the reduction by 6.8% of the trips made by the Greeks during 2019 within the country, data recorded are very revealing:

58% of personal trips were made to non-rental accommodation, mainly privately owned holiday homes and accommodation provided free of charge by relatives and friends. These trips account for 77% of the total number of overnight stays.

Travel with hotels and similar accommodation decreased by 7.9% and the corresponding overnight stays by 11%, compared to 2018.

Greek tourism sinking despite efforts

Greek tourism sinking despite efforts

July is leaving a bitter taste for the tourism professionals, but also for the government's financial staff, as the increase of coronavirus cases in European countries and the return of uncertainty have cut back expectations for something better in August and September.

Greece needs Turkish tourists

Greece needs Turkish tourists

Greek-Turkish relations are often disrupted, but there are also ties that are not affected by the political "thermometer".

The Turks, as research shows, appreciate Greece and have it high on the lists of top destinations. Specifically, Turkish tourists refer to Greece as an ideal destination forSun, Sea and City Break "products" .

What are the places most visited by Turkish tourists? These are Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the islands of the North Aegean and Attica. Nevertheless, due to travel restrictions, Turkish visitors will have to wait a little longer to visit Greece.

Why are Turkish tourists necessary for Greece

The Turks may not have the largest number of nights in Greece, but they have a feature that makes them "champions".

A study by INSETE shows that in terms of total incoming tourism in Greece, Turkey is in 18th place, however Greece is the Top destination for Turkish tourists. In 2019, 24% of Turkish tourists' expenses in Greece were spent during Q2 and 44% during Q3. Also, in 2019, 22% of Turkish arrivals in Greece were in Q2 and 45% in Q3, while 25% of overnight stays were in Q2 and 48% in Q3. The Top 3 destinations for Turks are Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the islands of the North Aegean and Attica!

What is particularly interesting is that especially in terms of incoming road tourism in Greece in 2019, Turkey was in 5th place. In 2019, 62% of arrivals, 51% of overnight stays and 52% of incoming tourism revenues from Turkey came from road tourism. It is noteworthy, in fact, that although the average length of stay in our country does not exceed 4 days compared to e.g. the 6 and 8 days of the Romanians and the Serbs, when it comes time to talk about spending, the Turks are champions.

In fact, the difference is seen when the comparison is made in terms of average expenditure per night and there the Turkish visitors are by far the first, with 82 euros.

However, Turkey ranks 13th in the world in terms of coronavirus, with 199,906 recorded cases and 5,131 recorded deaths from pandemics. So Turkish tourists will have to wait a bit before they visit.

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