According to a survey conducted by the Association of Business and Retail Sales of Greece (SELPE), one in three Greeks intend to take a holiday this summer.
The survey – which was carried out with the scientific support of the ELTRUN laboratory of electronic trade of the Athens University for Economics and Business – found that only one in seven Greeks (14%) will holiday as usual, while 18% said they will go on a shorter vacation due to financial constraints or changes in their options, choosing rented rooms instead of hotels.
Four out of nine (44%) responded they will definitely not have holidays this year.
As of July 1, Greece opened to tourism following the relaxation of coronavirus-related restrictions.
All passengers arriving in Greece must fill in a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) at least a day before arrival, providing information that will include their departure airport, the address where they will be staying and the expected duration of their stay in Greece, among others. The information on the form is a key element of the country’s planning for protection against the pandemic and preventing the spread of the virus.
Greece’s Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis last week stated that “So far we have done very well in restarting Greek tourism. But under no circumstances should we be complacent. The battle may have been won, but not the raging war.”
In relation to the promotional actions of the tourism ministry, Theoharis said that “the next steps of the ministry concern the promotion of Greece through advertising and joint advertising. We initially innovated with the world-class pioneering campaign ‘Greece From Home’, we are moving forward with ‘Endless Greek Summer’ and ‘Destination Greece Health First’ but also with advertising companies, tour operators, etc. Our goal is for these promotions not to stop after the period of high demand, but to continue even in winter. Our strategic goal, after all, is to extend the tourist season – if health conditions allow. A success will be to follow a 12-month tourism model.”