Tourist arrivals could dip by up to 2% due to war in Israel

If prolonged for long, the war in Israel could deal a blow to Greece’s tourism industry, with the total number of arrivals and travel receipts likely to drop by up to 2%, according to market sources who spoke to Kathimerini.

These numbers are based on the percentage that Israeli tourists have in the Greek tourist market, having significantly increased in the last three years. 

In the last 24 hours, hoteliers and airlines are recording continuous cancellations by individual travelers and groups, while several airlines have stopped flights between Greece and Israel or have significantly modified their itineraries and frequencies.

However, the blow to Thessaloniki’s tourism will be even higher as  Israeli visitors are estimated to account for up to 11% of the total, as the outgoing president of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers, Grigoris Tassios, said on Wednesday, citing data from the city’s hoteliers in an event marking the end of his term.

After Thessaloniki, the islands of Kos, Rhodes, Crete and the city of Ioannina will likely be the next destinations with a significant drop in the number of arrivals from Israel. These regions are reporting booking cancellations for the next few weeks.

One exception are the Israelis who do not have military obligations and choose to come to Greece to limit the risk to themselves and their families, market sources told Kathimerini. 

At the same time, the departures of Israelis who are in mainland Greece and the islands continue.