Two of Greece’s most famous tourist destinations saw their accommodation and catering industry turnover decline by nearly 10 per cent during the first half of the year, according to Hellenic Statistics Authority data published this week.
Mykonos and Santorini were the notable exceptions in an upward trend across the country which recorded a 8.71 per cent overall increase.
For the accommodation sector, the total turnover reached €2.81 billion in the second quarter of 2024, compared to €2.54 billion in the same period last year, while for catering turnover grew from €2.41 billion to €2.55 billion respectively.
Even bigger increases were noted in turnover for the first half of the year (11 per cent for accommodation, 7.15 per cent for catering) compared to the same period in 2023.
The Hellenic Statistics Authority data reveal the big winners for the 2024 tourist season include Athens, Crete, Corfu and Cephalonia, as well as Chios and Lesvos.
The latter two, at close distance from the Turkish shores, have reportedly witnessed a surge in visitors from Turkey this year, in response to higher prices at Turkish coast resorts.
Both Mykonos and Santorini had experienced business decline in 2023 as well.
In 2024, Mykonos saw the biggest business decline percentage-wise, across the country’s tourism destinations.
In mainland Greece, the regional unit of Magnesia, where popular Pilio is located, also recorded significant turnover declines during the period April – June 2024 compared to 2023 – down by 4.6 per cent in accommodation and 6.5 per cent in catering.
