The prices in the hotels of mountainous and semi-mountainous regions of the country will be significantly reduced after the holidays, compared to the current period, which is considered the peak of the winter season.
Hotel prices, after January 7 and especially on weekdays, will be on average 10%-20% lower, depending on the destination, due to reduced demand, offering opportunities for new travel getaways, the general secretary of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers and head of the group of hoteliers in mountainous areas, Angelos Kallias, said.
Kallias points out that the delayed start of operation of the Ski Centres due to the extended summer has kept the demand for new reservations at low levels in destinations that attract skiers. Normality in demand for the rest of the season will return to the areas with Ski Resorts, weather permitting.
However, Mr Kallias believes that for the season to open, targeted financial incentives should be given to implementing investments in ski centres, which will attract visitors with other special interests besides skiing, such as cycling tourism. Accordingly, investments should be made for the further development of hiking tourism.
Mr Kallias emphasises that high energy costs are a problem for hotel companies operating in mountainous and semi-mountainous destinations. At the same time, he notes that introducing the Durability Fee from March will further burden the cost of holidays for the Greek clientele, on whom the country's winter accommodation is mainly based.
Also, the cost of road transport remained at high levels. In this context, to strengthen mountainous Greece, he proposes that the cost of road travel be included in social tourism programs, as is done in the summer with the coverage of ferry tickets to some destinations.
It should be noted that the available hotel beds, depending on the season, in the mountainous and semi-mountainous destinations of the country range between 100,000 and 150,000.
Reduced costs
The general secretary of POX states that among the characteristics of this year was the reduction of overnight stays per booking. This development allowed the movement of more travellers in the 15 days of the holidays, but with a limited number of nights per booking, to 2 to 3 from 4 to 5 that were in previous years.
Accordingly, a reduction of up to 30% in consumption was recorded.
This trend reflects people's willingness to travel but limiting spending.
The image of traffic with organised travel packages
For his part, the president of the FedHATTA Federation of Hellenic Associations of Travel and Tourism Agencies, Mr Lysandros Tsilidis, states that the two holidays, Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 December, together with the weekend, favoured travel more during the Christmas period.
For New Year's Day, which falls on a Monday, bookings are usually limited to 3 days, while for Epiphany, which this year falls on a Saturday, travel traffic is further restricted.
However, after the holidays, Mr Tsilidis notes that the prices for travel getaways to the Greek destinations offered for winter holidays will be better. He also points out that the lack of snow in the ski centres remains a disincentive for some travellers.
In terms of the Stock Exchange, the pricing policy in the travel market
However, in contrast to the reduction of prices in Greece, the prices of the packages in popular destinations abroad, especially in Europe, will have little difference after the holidays.
As Mr. Tsilidis explains, from December 10 to January 10, it is customary in big cities not to hold corporate events and conferences that provide significant clientele to hotels during the remaining periods. This favours the formation of an equilibrium in prices through organised travel packages during the holiday season.
Conversely, when conferences and other events are scheduled after the holidays, available beds for leisure tourists are limited, causing prices to rise.
This, concludes Mr Tsilidis, is an example that shows that, more and more, the pricing policy in the travel market operates in Stock Exchange terms.
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