Hoteliers happy with Christmas booking rates
On average, hotels in mainland Greece are already 80 percent booked for the Christmas period, the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation reports, with units in Athens and Thessaloniki seeing their occupancy rates rising rapidly by the day.
“The climate is positive for New Year’s and Epiphany too, while guests can secure better rates in the days between the main holidays,” when it is easier to find rooms, the federation advised.
The country’s ski resorts are not reporting the same booking rates yet though, as there is not enough snow – but that may change soon. At Kalavryta in the Peloponnese, hotels are reporting occupancy rates close to 100 percent for Christmas, 80 percent for New Year’s, and 65-70 percent for Epiphany, federation data show. Occupancy rates are particularly high in Larissa, Trikala and Volos, in Thessaly, with Volos almost fully booked up until January 8.
In contrast, bookings at winter resort hotels in Arcadia, Imathia and Drama are hovering around 70 percent for Christmas, with hoteliers hoping to see a rush of last-minute bookings. Rates reported in Ioannina are similar to last year’s, while Pieria is on the rise, given that this is a destination for other Balkan tourists too at New Year’s.
