A double-digit figure is the present drop rate in bookings for this year's tourist season in Greece. The greatest is the decline from traditional markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Smaller are the losses of British tourists, according to representatives of the Greek tourist market. At the same time, there is an increase in bookings from relatively new markets like Russia and Israel.
However, representatives of the tourism industry say it is too early to make certain estimates, because only between 15-20% of annual bookings have been recorded to this day.
As for Athens, which has experienced recent unrest and destruction just weeks ago, the representatives of the tourism industry forecast that 2012 will be the worst season in recent years. One of the most serious consequences of the devastation of hotels in central Athens is the decline in bookings and the intentions of organizers of congresses and business meetings to cancel them. This trend affects the hotels capacity until early summer.
The head of the Greek hoteliers’ association Yiannis Retsos said that the most critical period for the final programming and pre-bookings is currently in course. Now is the time when foreign tour operators will decide which of them will confirm based on the demand for the number of flights to any destination. In his opinion, the extension of the discussions on the voluntary haircut of the Greek debt PSI and the new bailout agreement once again have put Greece in the spotlight in a negative way. This fact, coupled with the recession in many European countries, has a negative impact on pre-bookings.
According to Yiannis Retsos, the biggest delay is from German tour operators. He believes that it is mostly due to the negative attitude towards Greece, reigning in German public opinion. There is a decline in demand from the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries. "The British market is trying to balance. After the initial double-digit decline, there is an improvement and things in Russia are positive." Yiannis Retsos forecasts that by early March, it will be possible to make a more accurate assessment of the development of the tourist season this year.
His opinion is that even if the terms of the new bailout are met completely, emerging from the crisis will not be possible without development. "Here is the role of tourism, which has proved with the results from 2011 that it can be the main lever for the development of the country, even in recession of 6.2%. However, this could not happen without the support and protection by the state and society. The devastation in Athens a week ago, that followed the events in December 2008, caused not only enormous damage but sent abroad the message that Athens in particular and the whole of Greece do not offer safety and are socially unstable."
According to Yiannis Retsos, these actions must be distinguished from the peaceful protests by ordinary citizens and must be prosecuted as criminal acts. The president of hoteliers called the authorities and the Ministry of Citizen Protection to stop playing the role of observers by making citizens face dilemmas and take all necessary measures to protect the property of citizens, the country's reputation and the sacrifices the Greeks have made in the last two years.
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