regions europe Inbound arrivals to Greece: number of trips 2012-17
5m 10m 15m 20m 25m 30m
0 2012
KEY ■ Air ■ Land ■ Water
Source: Flows in Greece, Euromonitor International
priority. It is the driving force for the Greek economy and a bridge for growth in other productive sectors. In 2017 tourism’s overall contribution to Greece’s GDP amounted to €35 billion, representing 19.7% of the total, and 934,500 jobs are linked directly and indirectly to tourism.”
Emerging markets
Greece’s minister of tourism, Elena Kountoura, welcomes competition
Like many countries, it is targeting the emerging markets of China, India and the Middle East and Kountoura is not troubled by the return to popularity of competing destinations in the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. “As long as our neighbours do well, and tourism grows in the wider area within an environment of stability and safety, we can only expect the best for Greek tourism,” she says.
She does not avoid discussing the migrant crisis, which thankfully has not had a major impact on tourism – even on the islands most affected. “Tourism has always been business as usual, and the only pressure felt was at a small number of islands due to the extensive and often exaggerated publicity they endured,” she explains. “We
promoted the islands extensively and among
44 wtm insights summer 2018 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
other initiatives, invited tour operators, journalists and foreign media. “Former UNWTO secretary Taleb Rifai has repeatedly referred in public speeches to Greece as a case study for successful destination crisis management. The islanders demonstrated exemplary hospitality in its true sense.” Greece’s tourism development plan is much like that of many countries, while having globally admired history and culture on which to draw. It aims to develop year- round tourism and target sectors ranging from LGBT and gastronomy to medical tourism and wellness.
Cruising is being developed, with
the Crete port of Heraklion added as a home port for ships, while sustainability and environmental tourism are also taking centre stage. It has embraced the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the island of Tilos recently awarded an EU Sustainable Energy award.
A sell-off of publicly owned land, while sometimes controversial, is leading to major investment in four and five-star hotels, with more than 350 major projects in the pipeline. An investment fund of €230 million is available to upgrade smaller properties, although the move away from traditional, simpler accommodation will not appeal to all visitors.
Safe and stable Market research provider Euromonitor
International, in a report on Greece published in September 2017, states: “Apart from the country’s undisputed natural beauty and variety, incoming tourism is also boosted by Greece’s status as a safe and stable country within an otherwise turbulent region. The agreement reached between Greece and its lenders in the spring of 2017 was another factor in the stability, while constantly expanding airline connections and proliferation of economy and luxury hotels complete the picture.” Data and analytics company GlobalData adds: “The Greek economy may still be struggling but the country is braced for a record-breaking 35 million holidaymakers this year, with the increase in early bookings for the 2018 season already noting a double-digit growth. “The tourist comeback of Turkey and Egypt, and a slight decline in arrivals from core markets such as France and the UK, are expected to slow the overall growth in inbound tourism within the coming years. Yet, given the strong expected performance in markets such as Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Poland and the US, GlobalData forecasts that total international arrivals to Greece will grow at an annual rate of 4% between 2017 and 2022.”
wtm.com
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