Editorial Ta Nea: Bolstering the Greek tourism sector

Projections so far regarding how Greece’s summer tourist season will fare, despite difficult economic conditions and the war in Ukraine, suggest that it will return to pre-pandemic levels.

The data from the massive Easter holiday exodus indicated a high hotel occupancy level at popular destinations and allow one to be optimistic.

Yet, optimism is not enough, and careful planning is needed, given the fact that the international terrain remains particularly unstable.

The critical contribution of the tourism sector to Greece’s GDP is well known. It has traditionally been around 25 percent, and even in the difficult 2021 season it rose by two percentage points.

The reservations rate and early bookings are on the rise and the challenge for tourism sector professionals and the government is to ensure that the upward continue.

That is why it is absolutely essential to support tourism in every way possible this year.

The energy crisis and inflation are endangering economic growth.

Revenues from the sector that is called our “heavy industry” are the most critical counterbalance to that threat.

The government must make every possible effort to bolster the tourist product, whether that be through measures to reduce energy costs or by funnelling EU recovery fund monies to the sector.

One cannot afford to remain content with just good omens or positive signals.

The preconditions must be created so that a very large number of arrivals can be combined with substantial consumption by visitors.