Greece is back in favour
An online travel agent has seen a major increase in bookings to Greece of over 70% compared with the same period of last year.
Jason Waldron, product and marketing director of Broadway Travel, said significant price drops by hoteliers has sparked renewed interest in the country.
Broadway’s booking patterns show all-inclusive trips are selling particularly well, accounting for 77% of all packages sold from January to March.
However, families account for fewer than one in four of the bookings to Greece taken by Broadway so far this year, suggesting they are holding back.
"Families, for obvious reasons, tend to be more risk averse, so perhaps it will take slightly longer for the family trips to bounce back," said the agency.
Luxury family holiday specialist Boltholes agreed the Greek recovery had been boosted by accommodation-owners willingness to cut prices last year, sometimes by 10% or even more.
But founder Sian Williams said discounting at the higher end of the market had been significantly reduced this year, to less than 5% on some properties, yet the luxury sector was thriving.
She said: "Since January, we’ve seen a massive 242% increase in bookings year on year for the summer season to high-end villas and resorts in Greece and the Greek Islands, which shows that the return in the luxury arena to higher pricing has not deterred UK travellers from booking."
Williams said the average spend was in excess of £2,150. "It seems that the UK economic uncertainty has also had a positive impact on the luxury sector in Greece, with many families, who have either had to forsake their annual holiday or downgrade over recent years, now willing to pay more to ensure less risk in terms of quality."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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