The German newspaper Handelsblatt, which hosts a tribute to the cheapest destinations in the Mediterranean, talks about a record summer in the tourist destinations of Europe.
At this level, the newspaper ranks Turkey as the cheapest destination, while Greece as the most expensive.
"For the European tourism industry, this summer marks a big comeback. After 2.5 years of pandemic, the desire for sun and beach is so great that the reservations exceed the expectations of the industry," Handelsblatt wrote.
"Some destinations are even expected to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2019, which was also a record year in many places.
"But this year's holidays have their price," the author notes, explaining that high inflation, which in the eurozone reached 8.1%, makes summer vacations more expensive.
"Greece," according to the author of the article, is "the new rising star among the holiday destinations after the pandemic."
"Prices for a four-star hotel are exploding. If one does not pay attention to Mykonos, they will be torn apart mercilessly: 79 euros a portion of grilled squid, 15 euros an espresso," writes the columnist, who argues that despite the anger of many travelers for the prices on social media, so far, the desire for travel to Greece does not give up.
"The brand Greece attracts. For Europe's largest travel agent, Tui, Greece is one of the most popular destinations for 2022. The company wants to bring 3 million visitors to Greece this year, with a large portion coming from Germany."
According to the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises SETE, Greece benefits from the good management of the coronavirus pandemic, from its graphic diversity and the tendency towards more individual vacations.
However, the target of 31.3 million visitors in 2019 will hardly be met again. One reason is the absence of Russians and Ukrainian tourists, amounting to 800,000 in 2019.
A new record is expected to be set this year in the number of visitors from the US. The major airlines, Delta, American and United , offer more direct flights than ever before.
According to the article, Americans are very welcome visitors because they spend significantly more money than other foreigners.
Why Turkey offers relatively cheaper holidays
As far as Turkey is concerned, all items are becoming more expensive due to record inflation, the German journalist said, explaining that the event is partially offset by the fall of the Turkish lira for foreign tourists.
"Holidays in Turkey are relatively cheap, because the additional costs in the hotel industry are still low," the daily said.
In addition, the war in Ukraine could mean that significantly fewer tourists will come to the country this year from both Ukraine and Russia.
Therefore, all-inclusive hotels in the Antalya region in particular, face the challenge of giving their rooms to vacationers from other countries at lower prices.
However, tourists should be aware that inflation makes other services more expensive.
If you take a taxi from the airport to the hotel, you pay significantly more in euros than before. The same goes for car and fuel rental rates as well as for bus and boat tours.
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