ATOR: Russian tourists in the summer may not have enough places in the Greek resorts

Greece, which became the second most popular summer holiday destination in Europe, was in 2017 so popular with early booking among tourists of the Old World that Russians who prefer to choose a resort at the "last moment" may not have enough space there, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reported on Thursday.

According to Greek media reports, preliminary data on the growth of air travel to Greece and early booking data of leading European tour operators show that the country will receive 20% more tourists this year. At some popular resorts, Russian tourists may not have enough seats, the report said.

In the context of declining demand for Turkey and Tunisia in Europe, Greece becomes the number two destination for summer holidays for Europeans in the 2017 season, second only to Spain in popularity.

Commenting on the plans of European tour operators, Mouzenidis Travel says that the multiple increase in the number of tourists booking tours to Greece from European countries is very pleased with the players of the host tourist market of the country, but should alert operators and agents who sell tours to Greece in Russia.

We need to understand that the demand for Greece has exceeded the supply of the country's capacity to accommodate tourists, there are simply not enough hotels and rooms to accommodate everyone. Greece from the summer 2016 season is the direction of early booking, and not the direction of hot offers on the eve of departure, said Evgeny Kiselyov, head of sales at Mouzenidis Travel head office in Thessaloniki (Greece).

ATOR previously reported that in 2016 Greece was visited by more than 27 million foreign tourists, among which the Russian tourist flow was estimated at 900 thousand people.

Source: RIA Novosti