Thessaloniki emerges as a top destination for the festive season, with visitors from Greece and abroad.
According to the president of the Thessaloniki Hoteliers' Association, Mr Andreas Mandrino, during the Christmas period, the occupancy of hotels in Thessaloniki reached 80%, with the highest demand recorded by Greeks. Indicative is that it was tough to find parking in the city centre due to the increased traffic from Greeks who travelled by car.
Regarding New Year's, occupancy rates reach 90%, with the demand being met mainly by foreign tourists, most of whom come from Balkan countries. The average number of nights per reservation during the holiday season is three.
It should be noted that around 15,000 hotel rooms are available in the wider area of Thessaloniki. Investment interest in new hotels in Thessaloniki is lively. Investments are already being planned for at least six new high-class hotels that will gradually add to the city's potential within the next two years.
As Mr. Mandrinos notes, reports Travel, 2023 closes positively for the hotel market of Thessaloniki without, however, having caught the numbers for 2019. The average price of the units increased by 20% due to the increased energy costs and the rise in the prices of supplies.
Despite this, compared to competitive urban destinations abroad, Thessaloniki remains one of the cheapest cities for hotel accommodation.
As far as 2024 is concerned, the burden that will arise from March for visitors with the increased Resilience Fee in the climate crisis worries the market.
Especially during periods of low traffic when prices are lower, the Fee will cover a high percentage of the final price, disproportionate to other popular destinations. Also, Thessaloniki will be asked to face another issue in 2024, that of the lack of customers from Israel due to the war.
This is a very important market for the city's hotel market which covered more than 10% of overnight stays on an annual basis in previous years. Tourism in Thessaloniki has significant prospects for further development 12 months a year, attracting visitors from both Greece and international markets.
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