Halkidiki Tourism Execs Optimistic After WTM London Expo
Halkidiki Tourism Organization (HTO) executives appear optimistic for the 2022 tourism season as early bookings for 2022 from the UK market are on the up.
Following a meeting held during WTM London earlier this week, HTO President Grigoris Tasios and Jet2Holidays senior executives confirmed that pre-bookings for 2022 are at 18 percent – near the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
In addition, LoveHolidays Representative Sandy Winn said Halkidiki has been an emerging Greek destination since 2018 with tourism numbers increasing by 10 percent on an annual basis.
“Repositioning Halkidiki in the UK market is a priority in order to boost tourism during the low season and attract more flights to Makedonia Airport as well as more guests to the area’s hotels and this way support the local economy during a 180-day season,” Tasios said after attending a number of meetings at WTM London 2021.
During the expo, Tasios also met with Greek Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias, representatives of airlines including Jet2.com, EasyJet and British Airways, and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili.
The Halkidiki Tourism Organization participated in WTM London as a co-exhibitor of the Greek National Tourism Organization along with tourism professionals from Central Macedonia including Thessaloniki.
The organization stated in an announcement that the 2021 tourism season developed mush better than expected for Greece.
In 2022, HTO expects Greece to benefit from the successful management of the pandemic (during the summer of 2021) as well as from the increasing number of available air seats to the country and Makedonia Airport in particular.
Please protect the beauty of #halkidiki’s nature, don’t destroy it further. Quality tourism doesn’t mean building expensive ressorts with umpteen swimming pools on one of the few large beauriful and easy to reach beaches. Invest in mobility that reduces traffic jams and parking where it’s risky, more public transport between the fingers, could also be by boat, shuttle buses to different beaches and avoid cluttering public beaches with ever more beach bars, loud music and high fees and so-called luxury accommodation next to supermarkets and ever more Airbnb craze that leads to rip offs and long term long rentals not being valued anymore