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Greece to hold hotel prices, says tourism chief
Greece’s tourism chief has promised that hoteliers will hold their prices next year as the country bids to increase the number of UK tourists visiting the country.
Last summer, hoteliers in Greece slashed their rates by up to 40% to halt a slump in tourism in the wake of the recession.
George Nikitiades, the country’s culture and tourism deputy minister, said prices would remain at that level during 2011.
“These price cuts led us to being a great value for money country and we will keep the same low prices but improve the quality on offer,” said Nikitiades, speaking at the World Travel Market.
“When we say we offer five-star hotels, they really are five star.”
Greece is aiming to attract 2.1 million people from the UK next year, slightly more than in 2010, and has a target of reaching 2005 levels of 2.5 million visitors within the next few years.
“We did get a lot of late bookers last year because we cut prices, but we are comfortable with that and would welcome late bookers again.”
Nikitiades said that in 2011, Greece would push the cultural aspects of the country in a bid to attract new tourists.
“Very few people in Corfu have been to the Achilion museum and many visitors to Athens have not been to the museum of the Acropolis,” he said.
“We want to make people aware of what we have to offer.”
Greece is also promoting itself as a dive centre in 2011.
“We are a huge area for diving, with 210 dive centres,” said Nikitiades.
By Jeremy Skidmore
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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