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Although last season was a success for tour operating companies that specialize in the Greek market (tourist flow to the country increased by 40-60%) experts do not rush to make optimistic forecasts for summer 2006.
For example, Anatoly Garkushin, General Director of Pantheon travel company suggested in the interview to a BANKO correspondent a 10% drop in demand for Greece this summer which he explained by three main factors. Firstly, according to Garkushin, the so-called postponed demand stimulated by the Olympic Games in 2004 has past. Secondly, after a successful season new players are expected to enter the market which may result in excess of flights and consequently, dumping prices. Thirdly, unstable situation in the Turkish market following the outbreak of bird flu in Turkey might affect the work of Russian tour operators: ‘foreign operators will concentrate on Greece, while Russian tourists attracted by cheap hotel rates may switch to Turkey’, said Garkushin.
Nevertheless, Alexey Sergeev, Vice-President of IntAir, forecasts the rise in demand by 15–20%. He considers foreign operators’ reorientation from Turkey to Greece and increase in air tariffs to be important factors. However, he believes they will not prevent the demand growth.
Alexander Sandekidis, Director of Mouzenidis Travel, also makes an optimistic forecast for Greece. According to him, the interest in Greece will continue growing. Commenting on competition with other markets, Sandekidis pointed out that those companies that made contracts with hotels in autumn will win the competition.
