How Greece is extending its tourism season, one island at a time
EasyJet’s extension of its summer schedule to Skiathos exemplifies a shoulder-season shift in Greek island tourism – but are hoteliers willing to support airlines that take the risk?
Crystal waters, lovely beaches, friendly locals and fabulous food: is it any wonder that clients are clamouring for Greece? According to figures from the UK Office of National Statistics, the Balkan nation accounted for 5% of trips abroad last year, making it the fourth most visited destination after Spain, France and Italy for British holidaymakers. What’s even more remarkable is that most of those holidays would have been squeezed into the months between May and October, the main tourist season.
Outside that window, many Greek hotels mothball their operations, with some keeping the shutters closed for nearly half the year. But although such extreme seasonality makes the most of warm seas and guaranteed sunshine, it also comes at a cost in terms of missed economic opportunities and peak-season overcrowding that impacts both visitors and locals.
Things, however, are starting to change. “Our first flight arrived this year on April 1st – the earliest ever,” says Thodoris Tzoumas, the mayor of Skiathos: a North Aegean island with one of Greece’s shortest tourism seasons. “The season here usually ends at the beginning of October, but this year easyJet has committed to flying until the end of that month, allowing guests to experience our island at a time when it’s usually almost empty and our hiking trails and cultural attractions come into their own.”
Such developments are highly collaborative by nature. “Many stakeholders – tour operators, airlines, hoteliers, restaurant owners – have come together for this opportunity,” reveals Tzoumas. “The result will improve tourism flows and ensure a more sustainable model from which everybody benefits.”
One stakeholder taking advantage of easyJet’s extra capacity is Konstantinos Santikos, whose Santikos Collection includes two Skiathos hotels. One of them, Aegean Suites – an adults-only hideaway on the edge of Skiathos Town – has extended its season to match easyJet’s, switching to all-inclusive basis for the duration.
“Extending an established tourist season is a little bit chicken-and-egg,” he explains. “You need airline commitment as well as hotels, attractions and restaurants to stay open. EasyJet has taken that risk and Aegean Suites is here to support them.” A week’s stay in October costs from £687pp in a garden-view junior suite, with Gatwick flights (easyjet.com).
Government-level intervention also plays a part in growing the season. At an EU tourism conference earlier this year, the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced plans to stretch his nation’s tourism beyond the typical five-month window. According to Eleni Skarveli, UK director for the Greece National Tourism Organisation, relevant initiatives are already rolling out.
“We have been collaborating with British tour operators to extend summer tourism,” she says, “both to popular destinations like Corfu, Rhodes, Crete and Kos, but also to cities and cultural hotspots on the mainland with year-round appeal, such as Thessaloniki, Kalavrita, Epirus and Olympia.”
Sunvil is among the operators embracing slow-season demand. “We’re particularly keen on more off-the-beaten-track destinations,” says the company’s sales and marketing manager, Rachel Jelley. “One example is in Kardamili in the Peloponnese, where a new Jazz Festival is taking place mid-October, ensuring that the resort will be buzzing with energy and music.” A seven-night self-catering stay at Palataki Apartments (coinciding with the festival) costs from £903pp, including flights and transfers (sunvil.co.uk). Flights to Kalamata operate until 2 November.
Luxury specialist Planet Holidays is already a step ahead. “We’ve offered Athens year-round for more than two decades,” says its director, Harry Kyrillou. “New for this winter is 91 Athens Riviera, a wellness retreat by the sea with easy access to the city; plus we can enhance any booking with multi-day classical tours to Delphi and Meteora’s cliff-top monasteries.”
Recent years have also seen Planet Holidays expand its off-season city-break offering to Thessaloniki, Heraklion (Crete) and Rhodes Town. A seven-night B&B October stay in Rhodes Town’s 10GR (a boutique hotel in a millennium-old building that once accommodated Crusades-bound knights) costs from £1,382pp, including transfers and Stansted flights (planet-holidays.co.uk). “Car hire is economical off-season,” adds Kyrillou, “so clients can self-drive and explore Lindos and other Rhodian highlights without the crowds.”
Some islands, particularly Crete and Santorini, already buck the trend by operating longer seasons. One hotelier on the Cycladic isle has taken the plunge to stay open year-round. “I believe we’re the only luxury hotel in Santorini to do so,” says Daniel Kerzner, who owns Santorini Sky (santorinisky.com): an all-villa retreat located near the mountain town of Pyrgos. “It means that instead of relying on seasonal staff like most hotels, we’re able to support, develop and retain local talent, in turn ensuring a better guest experience.”
The knock-on effect reverberates beyond the island too. “We can also support our Greece-wide suppliers who provide the quality ingredients and items we serve in our Sky Lounge,” he adds. Non-stop flights from the UK continue until 3 November, after which clients can connect to the island via Athens.
But despite all the positives that an extended season can potentially provide, there are other important factors to bear in mind.
“The key to sustainable tourism growth is to balance the needs of the market with those of the local communities,” Eleni Skarveli confides. “While we’re working hard to introduce travellers to Greece beyond the sea and sun stereotypes, the existing seasonal model has been developed by local people, who switch between summer tourism jobs and other occupations in winter. Any decision to change this pattern is ultimately theirs to make.”
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