ATHENS – Greece has a lot of European tourism rivals competing for travelers but has an advantage none of them have – its renowned islands – the National Bank of Greece said in a business trends study.

The very phrase “The Greek Islands,” can get the mind wandering to a lazy summer day with a fish lunch and sitting on the beach soaking up the sun, swimming in the sea and forgetting everything for a while.

The bank said the islands are again the big attraction as people are already making plans for summer travel with spring a few weeks away and milder weather already settling over the country.

NBG analysts expect Greece to continue to make a strong comeback during the fast-waning COVID-19 pandemic and pick up on a big year in 2022, said GTP Headlines, when health measures were ended to entice tourists.

https://news.gtp.gr/2023/02/28/study-islands-give-greece-advantage-in-tourism-over-rivals/
Greece’s autumn 2022 was a harbinger with people continuing to come after the peak season and even into the winter as the Tourism Ministry pitches other attractions and the country as a year-round destination.

Greek hotels saw autumn 2002 sales exceed pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 24 percent and gain a bigger share of the market of international customers accounting for 60 percent of all stays over 57 percent, the site said.

But it’s those islands and sweet summer that get people coming to Greece, which is seeing an influx of 5 and even 7-Star hotels and luxury resorts, many on islands which offer the ultimate getaway for the rich and super-rich.

The bank said that the islands got tourists even during the off season which helped bump up the revenues, the leading autumn spots being the South Aegean islands and the biggest island draw, Crete.