Thessaloniki is winning over tourists thanks to the experiences it offers, hotel satisfaction and consistency in its services, according to a survey presented by the Thessaloniki Hotels Association and GBR Consulting.
According to the study carried out for the sixth year in a row, 96 percent of Greek and foreign travellers return to Thessaloniki for business or pleasure and are satisfied with the services offered at hotels. THA president Aristotle Thomopoulos said this was a ”basis for optimism’’.
Of those surveyed, 97 percent said they would recommend Thessaloniki for work, pleasure or conference events. Travellers to the northern port city are mainly from Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, representing 23 percent of all overnight stays in the city’s hotels.
Issues that need improvement according to those surveyed were cleanliness, noise pollution, safety, public transport and sidewalks.
"Thessaloniki’s hotel sector has remained steady over the last decade in terms of number of units. However, with increasing demand, occupancy levels also increased, reaching the levels of Düsseldorf and Cologne. Despite this trend however, the average room rate remained low,’’ said Stefan Merkenhof, managing consultant GBR.