The German news network RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland invites Germans to travel to Greece, stressing that the tourist season starts earlier and that this year the arrivals will set a new record.

In an article titled “Run to Greece: The country expects a new travel record in 2023“, RND quotes Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilia, who expects tourism to grow by 20% this year: “If this turns out to be true, in 2023 Greece will clearly surpass the travel record set in 2019 before the coronavirus,” he says.

RND points out that “in 2022, tourism revenues amounted to 18 billion euros, slightly less than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. For 2023, the industry expects a new record. The beginning of the year is promising: in January there was a 5% increase in the number of travelers arriving at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, compared to 2019.”

Top destinations

According to RND, tour operators report increased bookings for trips to Greece from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as Great Britain, France, Italy and the Scandinavian countries.

Apart from Crete and Rhodes, the most popular destinations include the Dodecanese island, Kos and the Ionian Islands, Corfu and Zakynthos.

Like Tui, travel agent FTI is also reporting high demand and is therefore extending some programs until November. The fact that Greece is also an attractive early and late season travel destination was demonstrated last October with higher than ever visitor numbers.

Shortage of staff: who should accommodate tourists?

But who makes the guests’ beds, who serves them breakfast? asks RND and adds: many Greek hoteliers still do not have an answer to this question. The industry is struggling with staffing issues. During the pandemic, hotels and restaurants laid off workers en masse. Many have found better paying, less stressful jobs in other industries and are reluctant to return to the service industry. As early as 2021, the Greek hotel and catering industry pointed out that 53,000 workers were lacking. Last year it was already 60,000. For 2023, the industry even expects at least 80,000 job vacancies.

Therefore, the German media writes, employers are demanding visa regulations from the government that make it possible to employ up to 100,000 workers from Asian and Balkan countries. The unions, however, are against it. “They fear wage dumping and the erosion of workers’ rights. Instead, trade unionists are demanding better pay to make tourism jobs more attractive.”

One of the reasons for staff shortages in the service sector is the low minimum wage that many workers are paid. At the moment it is 713 euros gross. On April 1, it rises to 751 euros. In practice, however, hotel, restaurant and cafeteria workers often have to work unpaid overtime.

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