Trikala and Drama are in high demand, with their theme parks serving as a major draw.
The Christmas and New Year’s holidays are always an invigorating period for the tourism sector, especially for businesses active in mountain and, more generally, winter destinations. Destinations are flooded—predominantly by Greeks—with some remaining steadily popular, but this no longer deters people from getting away, choosing new places that are gradually rising on the demand list, resulting in a wider dispersion of visitors and growth across more regions.
Once again this year, Trikala and Drama take the top spot, as their theme parks are a brand for the area and a magnet for visitors.
In Trikala, «The Mill of the Elves», now in its 13th year, attracts such a large number of visitors that hotels across Thessaly fill up, notes Haris Tsavlos, the Mill’s project manager, speaking to the Athens - Macedonian News Agency. «Last year our visitors reached 1.5 million and this year we hope to surpass that figure, as we enrich our product every year and it becomes even more enticing», he says.
In Drama, «Oneiroupoli» welcomes more than 80,000 visitors, but this year is expected to perform much better, as the theme park has been completely refreshed after 20 years and people will see a different picture, according to Angelos Kallias, president of the Drama Hoteliers Association and sec. gen. of POX.
«Drama will do well; Oneiroupoli" has been renewed, this year it has a different look, with new rides, activities, etc. and it carries a different aura. "Oneiroupoli" welcomes about 80,000 visitors, but what matters is that it has begun to attract people from the Balkans too, mainly from Bulgaria. They are of the same faith and have holidays over the same period as we do. Most come for the day, but they also add to overnight stays», notes Mr. Kallias.
In general, across the country’s destinations, occupancy rates by area and depending on the destination will range from 75 to 95%, according to Mr. Kallias. Among the popular destinations is also Volos, thanks to its events and festive Christmas atmosphere.
«There is, however, concern about operating costs, as it is extremely difficult to raise prices -which are stable compared to last year- while fuel, raw materials and payroll costs have increased», he adds, noting: «In general, people choose destinations that either have theme parks or ski resorts».
In the prefecture of Pieria, where tourism performs strongly both in summer and in winter, this year’s festive period is expected to go even better than last year, with occupancy above 90%, as noted by the president of the county’s Hoteliers Association, Iraklis Tsitlakidis. Litochoro, at the foot of Mount Olympus, Elatochori with its ski center, and the wider area offer many options for winter tourism and lie very close to the major urban center of Thessaloniki.
High on the list too—especially for Athenians looking to «escape» over the holidays—apart from Arachova and Karpenisi, are the mountain destinations of the Peloponnese.
As Professor Konstantinos Marinakos, vice president of POX and president of the Peloponnese Tourism Promotion Organization, points out, again this year priority goes to the Peloponnese’s mountain destinations, and chiefly mountainous Achaea, particularly Kalavryta, mountainous Arcadia—notably the popular villages of Dimitsana, Stemnitsa, Langadia and Vytina—and mountainous Corinthia, especially the area around Trikala Corinthias.
However, there is now demand for other destinations too—a trend born after the pandemic that led people to discover new places—so we are gradually seeing a better spread of visitors to places such as Mountainous Arcadia’s Zatouna, Levidi, Karytaina, Elliniko, Chrysovitsi, which are exceptional destinations now entering the list for the holiday season.
«Over the holiday long weekends, occupancies will be very high—we estimate they will exceed 85%—but our constant concern is what happens the rest of the time. Although the holiday period provides the basis for covering a series of expenses for mountain destinations, profitability depends on extending their operating season, given the high costs», Mr. Marinakos underscores.
«We should stop talking about strictly winter tourism in terms of ski resorts and focus on mountain, thematic tourism based on the logic of four seasons. We have good practices from Europe we can follow. For example, the ski centers of Kalavryta and Mainalo cannot compete with the major ski resorts of Greece and the Balkans; therefore, the initiatives underway, such as certain festivals and more, are efforts that need to be intensified and bring people outside the winter season too. Many now choose mountain destinations in summer as well; this trend exists, but professionals also need to mobilize, and the appropriate infrastructure must be created», he adds.
Among the top destinations for the festive period is Epirus, with the Zagorochoria, Metsovo, Tzoumerka and Konitsa foremost in preference.
«This year we start earlier and fill up for the holidays, but the goal remains to have tourism all year round. A key advantage for our area is also the ski centers in Anilio of Metsovo and in Vasilitsa, which attract a considerable crowd. As for Ioannina -and I refer to the basin of Ioannina- during the holidays visitors exceed 20,000», notes the president of the Ioannina Hoteliers Association, Spyros Sourelis.
Source: ANA-MPA
