Numbers of Australians travelling to Greece remains steady

The flow of Australian travellers to Greece remained unabated last year despite the effects of the global financial crisis (GFC).

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released two weeks ago reveal that the numbers Australian travelling overseas who nominated Greece as their principal destination in 2009 saw a nominal decrease from 2008 to 2009 of only one percent.

More specifically, 45,400 Australians travelled to Greece last year as opposed to 45,700 in 2008.

Indeed if one compares figures as far back as 2005 one will notice a somewhat linear influx of Australian travellers to Greece.

“The overall annual figures have been pretty consistent over the past five years,” the Executive Director of Tourism & Transport Forum Brett Gale said to Neos Kosmos English Edition (NKEE).

What is even more impressive when comparing 2008 to 2009 figures is that during the peak months of June, July and August there were increases in the number of travellers of 3, 5 and 8 percent respectively.

This picture is in stark contrast to what preliminary estimates from Greek travel agents were reporting at the beginning of 2009.

The factor that helped level the initial discouraging figures was the unprecedented special offers from airlines.

“I haven’t seen such prices since 1979,” underscored the Sales Manager of Exclusive World Travel, Peter Kaliakoudis.

“During the peak months of June and July people could travel to Greece with $1,500, that’s unheard of and it probably contributed significantly offsetting the initial numbness of the market,” he added.

As for 2010, Mr Kaliakoudis noted that there is a lot of interest, however people are waiting for new special offers similar to the ones seen in 2009.

He also pointed out that with increased air travel competition, a price war benefiting the consumer cannot be ruled out. “Emirates is now having 10 daily flights out of Australian airports and two daily flights from Dubai to Athens.

And with Etihad and Qatar also flying daily, we’re most certainly up for an interesting season.”