With Greece expecting a record tourist season with 17 million visitors, there’s a big drop in Greeks visiting destinations in their own country with Crete, one of the favorite draws, seeing a large fall in domestic tourism.
Crete used to be one of the most preferred destinations not only for foreigners but for Greek tourists as well. But with a lingering recession now in its sixth year, and more austerity measures coming, many Greeks have given up on going to Crete, officials there said.
The President of the Pan-Hellenic Association of Hotel Managers Giorgos Pelekanakis, told CretaLive that, “There is more than 60% drop this year over Greeks’ preference to holiday make in the island of Crete. There are places like Chania where the reduction of domestic tourism reaches 50%, while in other areas there is a significant reduction as well, such as the town of Elounda .”
Also affecting the tourist rate to Crete is that fares for planes and ferries to get there remain high and Greeks are opting either to stay at home or to take holidays that don’t require much travel.
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