Mykonos and Santorini are the islands that every year are a point of reference for the Greek tourist product. Paros is going through another impressive period in terms of visitors which, so far, exceeds all expectations even from the record year of 2019
Tourist traffic to the Cyclades islands is running at a pace that surpasses the figures of 2019 this year, with August sealing the record year for them, but also overall for most Greek destinations. At least this is reflected in their statements to the Athens News Agency, representatives of the islands, with August being the peak of the tourist stream for the Greek islands.
Focusing on the islands of the Cyclades, they are a magnet for almost all the main markets of the country. English, French, Italian, but also Americans have flooded the islands of the Cyclades this year, while the Greeks also give them a vote of confidence, as it is emphasized. Mykonos and Santorini are the islands that every year are a point of reference for the Greek tourist product, this year they are the star in tourist arrivals and especially in August, finding a free room on them is a difficult task.
Mykonos recovered quickly from the pandemic – With last minute bookings it will move in August
July 2022 closed with a positive sign for Mykonos. Both from the point of view of traffic and from the levels of bookings, we can consider that Mykonos has won the bet of quick recovery after the pandemic to a remarkable extent, says in his intervention to APE-MPE the Andreas Fiorentinoshead of the Tourism thematic sector of the N.D. and former president of the hoteliers on the island
August is again the month of last minute bookings for the island. This trend has prevailed in recent years. In other words, there may be beds available and the next moment they are absorbed. According to the data we have from the overall tourist traffic of the first semester, we are optimistic and expect a highly profitable month for the island, as Mr. Fiorentinos emphasizes.
Santorini: Stable value in Greek tourism
With the occupancy approaching 100% in August, Santorini is a solid asset in the tourism sector, having managed not only to maintain strength, but also to record an impressive increase compared to the very good performance year 2019. It has proven that it has strong foundations in global travel market, which was shown by its excellent performance in the “difficult” years for tourism, 2020 and 2021, the island’s mayor tells APE-MPE Antonis Sigalas.
Regarding this year, as Mr. Sigalas pointed out, it is developing at a steady rate of increase and with tendencies to lengthen the tourist season, a fact that is also reinforced by our gradually implemented strategy that aims to spread out in space and time of the incoming tourist stream, in order to avoid overconcentration phenomena that burden the carrying capacity of the island.
We are firmly oriented to strengthen the position of Santorini as a luxury destination and to accelerate the development of special tourism”, he said among other things. Both Naxos and Paros have their own audiences inside and outside Greece, which last year also managed to stand out in the part of the arrivals, while this year they also set a new arrival record.
Naxos: 100% occupancy on the island
“Naxos entered the tourist season very dynamically with a 200% increase in ferry arrivals for May compared to 2019 and over 94% for June compared to 2021. The island has been “overwhelmed” by foreign tourists originating from France, Italy, England, Germany, USA and other markets. Occupancy is expected to “touch” 100% for July, August and part of September and in total exceed the record year of 2019. However, despite the impressive numbers, professionals continue to offer accommodation and dining options at reasonable prices“, the Deputy Mayor for Tourism of the Municipality of Naxos and the Small Cyclades emphasizes to APE-MPE, Vangelis Katsaras.
Paros: This year exceeds all expectations
Paros is going through another impressive period in terms of visitors which, so far, exceeds all expectations even from the record year of 2019, the mayor of the island reports to APE-MPE Markos Kovaios. Even in the difficult two years of the pandemic, the island stood tall with results that exceeded the average of the Cyclades and the country in general. In the meantime, according to the data so far, the tourist flow is expected to be maintained beyond the autumn, as was emphasized.
June arrivals showed that over 120,000 arrivals were counted by sea and air with increases over June 2019 exceeding 40%. In the same month, the number of tourists who visited the island by boat reached 100,000, an increase compared to the arrivals of the corresponding month in 2019 by 5% – 7%, which means that June this year was the best in terms of arrivals until today in Paros.
Milos: arrivals and revenues will exceed any optimistic forecast
As far as Milos is concerned, this year it is more crowded than in previous years. The statistics so far show that this year is expected to record the highest percentage of air and passenger traffic of all time, as reported by the president of the Tourism Committee of the Municipality of Milos, Averkiou Gaitanis.
This year, like last year, shows the steady upward trend of the destination. And we are sure that it will close with results that will exceed any optimistic forecast, as emphasized. In June 2022, there were 364 flights, carrying 13,208 passengers, an increase of 9% compared to 2019. As for now, traffic for the same month compared to last year (2021), showed a 17% increase in air routes and by 52% to the passenger public. For the first half of 2022, compared to 2019, there is a 0.47% increase in air traffic, and a 2.27% increase in passenger traffic.
Ios: At 90% occupancy in August
“The momentum of the season for Ios was confirmed by cruise arrivals for May and June which ended at levels higher than 2019 by 5%. In addition to the natural beauty and entertainment, we see a growing preference of visitors for gastronomy, activities and cultural events. Greece, France, Italy, Great Britain and also markets such as the USA are among the countries of origin of the tourists. Occupancy for the next period is estimated to exceed 90% in many intervals, while September will also attract significant travel flows“, the Mayor of Ieton reports to APE-MBE, Gikas Gikas.
Andros: 100% occupancy in August
The Deputy Mayor of Tourism of the Municipality of Andros, Nikos Moustakaspoints out to APE-MPE that “the data of 2019 reminds so far, the performances of Andros for the current season. June “closed” impressively with a 57% increase in ferry arrivals compared to 2021. Our estimate for August is that we will exceed the pre-pandemic data with occupancy close to 100%, while September is also predicted to be very satisfactory. In addition to the Greeks who love the island, travelers from Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Israel and France show increased traffic. Our affordable prices in tourist services make a positive impression on Greeks and foreigners».
Sifnos: At 90% occupancy in August
“Sifnos looks set to perform well throughout the summer. Occupancy for June reached 65%, according to professionals. July moved to about 75% overall. The tourist flow will increase with a peak in August which so far is estimated to be at 90% occupancy, a figure that is constantly evolving. September also shows great interest with measurements close to 65%. The markets that show a high preference for the Cycladic island of harmony are mainly Greece, France, Austria, Switzerland, England, America and Israel“, the Mayor of Sifnos told APE-MPE, Maria Nadali.
Tinos: Credit for an increase in revenue this year
Tinos, by consistently implementing a targeted tourism promotion strategy, managed to emerge as a timeless high-standard tourist destination, the mayor of the island reports to APE-MPE. Yannis Siotos. This year is yet another confirmation of this correct policy and our substantial entry into the global tourist map, and in fact for visitors with quality, basically, searches.
We tried and succeeded to escape from mass tourism and penetrate into the category of selective tourism. We expect this success in the number of arrivals to be recorded in the increase in revenue.
RES-EMP
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