Domestic tourism bookings post drop this summer

Bookings from the Greek market for the country’s popular summer destinations are lagging so far compared to last year, as hoteliers and travel agencies attest, while attributing the phenomenon to the new tax onslaught.

Hotel bookings even appear to suggest a drop for August, which is the main vacation period for Greeks, while owners are pinning their hopes on last-minute reservations. They are blaming this on increased taxes whose payments are set to start in July.

One of the characteristics of this season is the smaller length of holidays that Greeks are booking, along with reduced spending and the search for offers and discounts.

For instance, the head of Halkidiki hoteliers, Grigoris Tasios, told Kathimerini that the bookings Greeks are making have dropped from an average duration of seven to 10 days in previous years to just five days this summer. The overtaxation of tourism enterprises has also reduced any leeway for discounts, he added.