ITB Berlin 2014 Shows Big Prospects For Greek Tourism

GTP @ ΙΤΒ Berlin 2014

Greek stand at ITB 2014.

ITB 2014 – Greek stand: Dr. Christian Göke, CEO Messe Berlin GmbH; Christopher Kaparounakis, Vice Präsident of
Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO); Iris Gleicke, parliamentary state secretary from Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy; Olga Kefalogianni, Greek Tourism Minister; Klaus Wowereit, Governing Mayor of Berlin; Panos Leivadas, Secretary General of GNTO; Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary and Member of Bundestag.

One thing was certain during this year’s ITB international tourism exhibition in Berlin: Greece was making a comeback in the German market.

From the first day of the ITB exhibition on 5 March, Greek tourism professionals were already referring to an expected 10 to 20 percent increase of German arrivals this season.

“Tourism in 2013 showed it could mark the turning point for the Greek economy… There are strong indications that 2014 will be the year that Greece will return to growth,” Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said during ITB.

The president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Andreas Andreadis, was on the same wave length: “2014 will be the year that Greece sees a complete reinstatement in demand for travel on the part of the German market.”

Arrivals from Germany to Greece this year will range between 2.5 and 2.7 million, up from 2.3 million in 2013, according to Mr. Andreadis.

ITB 2014: International views about the 2014 Greek tourism season

– “Greece has the opportunity to reinforce its comeback in 2014.” – RA Reiseanalyse 2014 study by FUR (Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reisen e.V.)

– “Greece, although still unsettled, revived in 2013 and now sparkles in the glow of a double-digit tourism increase.” – IPK International

– “Among the countries on the Mediterranean Greece and Spain reported particularly high growth.” – ITB Berlin closing report.

– “Ιnitial indicators confirm that German travelers are interested in Greece as a destination to spend their holidays this season.” – Friedrich Joussen, CEO, TUI

– “Greece will post significant growth in foreign tourist arrivals this year as bookings from the German market are already showing a jump on last year.” – Juergen Buechy, President, German Travel Association (DRV)

ITB 2014 – “Robola Happy Hour” event by the GNTO and the Kefalonia & Ithaca Hotel Association.

Greece is on the right track

In general, according to German tourism professionals, the booking pace for travel to Greece this summer is very positive with growth rates ranging from 20 to 52 percent (depending on the tour operator).

According to recent data presented at ITB, Greece ranks third among the top destinations for Germans.

“The German tourism market is powering ahead with high single-digit growth for 2014, including a dramatic comeback for Greece,” said the intro of a story on the German tourism market printed by FVW Mediengruppe, Germany’s leading travel industry media group, in the “Day 1 issue” of its daily newspaper that includes the news of ITB. Each day more than 25,000 copies are distributed at the entrances to all exhibitors and visitors of ITB 2014. In its “Day 2 issue,” FVW Mediengruppe ran a story exclusively on Greece entitled “Greece is back in business.”

Greece was also a point of reference when leading tour operators were questioned asked about trends and bookings for this tourism season.

“We believe that Greece’s ‘comeback’ as a travel destination, as described by the German media, has broader significance and marks positive developments as it demonstrates that the friendly ties between the two nations have been fully restored while the negative stereotypes that may have circulated in the past no longer exist,” the president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Andreas Andreadis, said during ITB.

Greece – ITB 2014 Exhibitors

The stand of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) this year hosted some 55 Greek tourism enterprises and regions. According to the ITB Exhibitor List 2013, a total of 102 Greek exhibitors attended the trade show.