‘WSJ’ Sees Swift Comeback for Greek Tourism

The Parthenon, © Shutterstock

The Wall Street Journal is placing its bets on Greek tourism in a story published earlier this week titled “Greece Makes Fast Recovery in Tourism”.

According to the report, stringent austerity measures and tedious bailout deal negotiations are not hindering tourists from coming to Greek shores, providing, in the meantime, a much-needed boost to one of the country’s most successful industries.

The WSJ reports that hotel bookings have recovered and cites Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) Research Institute director Aris Ikkos, who explains that Greece welcomed 22 million visitors last year and “if calm prevails we may even slightly surpass that level”.

The story, meanwhile, focuses on the bargains for tourists to Greece, describing the crisis as “a boon for thousands of travelers seeking a luxury holiday experience in Athens or the popular Greek islands” and citing cut prices by 15 percent for high-end accommodation.

According to Daniel Farrar, CEO of US-based Switchfly, a technology firm providing global booking platforms for airlines and hotels across the globe for upmarket travelers: “Greece is the only country with three destinations among the top 15 luxury venues around the world this summer.”

According to the WSJ, upscale hotels in Athens, Mykonos and Crete, are fully booked to the end of September.

At the same time, Aegean Airlines has increased flights to Athens from the rest of Europe by 30 percent, and 10 new international carriers have launched daily flights in and out of the Greek capital this year.

The story concludes with hotel operators, who are trying to deal with the capital controls and the double value-added tax rate imposed on hotels as of September.

The Wall Street Journal