A double-digit increase in pre-bookings is already being recorded
Greece consolidates itself at the top of tourist demand in Austria for the coming summer, with a double-digit increase in advance bookings and additional air routes to new Greek destinations.
This was found at the international tourism fair Ferien 2024, held in Vienna from March 14 to 17. The audience at the EOT stand, which participated again this year in the Exhibition with expanded participation, was huge. The co-exhibitors at the Greek stand from the Regions of Central Greece, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, Thessaly, Epirus, Ionian Islands, North Aegean, the Municipalities of Volos-Pilio and Skiathos, Karpathos, the Halkidiki Tourism Organization, the Louis hotel groups and Zeus and the Panhellenic Camping Association, had the opportunity on the first day to hold B2B meetings with industry professionals.
Greece is a top destination for the upcoming summer
According to the research of TUI (exclusive partner of Ferien) and the results of the bookings made at the Exhibition, Greece remains by far the most popular destination for Austrians.
The main destinations: Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Karpathos, Corfu, Halkidiki.
TUI bookings show double-digit growth for most destinations (Gottfried Math CEO TUI Austria).
The excellent course of bookings recorded a double-digit increase for some destinations already covering 70% of their potential for 2024. This was highlighted during the one-on-one meetings held by the Austrian EOT Service with the directors of TUI, Dertour (second largest tour operator), Springer Reisen and Ideal Tours.
The trend of air ticket bookings for the country’s largest air carrier, Austrian Airlines, which starts as early as March 26 with direct connections to 21 Greek destinations, is particularly encouraging: Athens, Thessaloniki/Halkidiki, Kavala, Volos, Skiathos, Skyros, Preveza, Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Araxos, Kalamata, Rhodes, Kos, Karpathos, Samos, Limnos, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, Chania.
Air routes to Athens show an increase of +20% while to Mykonos there will be 4 flights per week.
New destinations
The positive impact of new destinations such as Skyros, Lemnos and Thessaly with a weekly flight from Vienna to Volos (Austrian Airlines) is particularly impressive. In terms of destinations, the maintenance and consolidation of the Vienna – Volos line, as well as the opening of new lines to Lesbos and Chios, is of great importance to the Austrian EOT Service.
Finally, the new flight programs to Lesbos (from Innsbruck), the new Innsbruck-Karpathos, Linz-Skiathos lines are also performing well, while Epirus, which is establishing itself in the Austrian market, is showing an upward trend in demand.
