Non-inclusion of Greece in the reviewed UK Green List a blow to Corfu tourism
tourism
04 Jun 2021
/ 17:08
CORFU. There have been cancellations one after the other at hotels and rented accommodation following the announcement from the UK Government.
The non-inclusion of Greece in the UK Green List for Travel for a second time has dealt a serious blow to Corfu tourism. There has been widespread concern amongst those in the tourist sector as it forebodes an especially difficult tourist season as British tourists form the vast majority of visitors to the island.
A large number of hotels and rented accommodation had delayed opening following the first announcement of the green list in May in the hope that they would be included in the list in the review and then open to international tourists.
At the moment the number of bookings is very low for the period and this is not expected to change if the UK doesn't include Greece or the islands in the safe list.
Hotel and accommodation owners from north to south are in despair as 80 - 100% of their customers are from the UK.
According to Corfu Hoteliers' Association President Babis Voulgaris, very few hotels have opened and the number of bookings very low. "The UK has been very tough," he said. "They didn't add any new countries to the green list. Although there is a great demand for travel, bookings aren't being made. Due to the suspension of contracts until June a lot of hotels haven't opened. It definitely forebodes a very difficult season and our goal is to try and improve on last year."
Widespread desperation
The fact that Greece remains on the amber list and the consequences for the local economy is the only topic of conversation amongst professionals involved in the tourist sector. Hotel and accommodation owners from north to south are in despair as 80 - 100% of their customers are from the UK. "The UK decision is a real problem for us," says a hotel owner in Agios Georgios Pagon. "We depend 100% on the UK market. Our hotel remains closed and we are just waiting to see what happens."
The situation is the same in Kavos, which has thousands of British visitors every year. Hotels remain closed there as well. "There is no demand from the UK market and we have had a lot of cancellations," says a local hotel owner. "At the moment bookings are at under less than 10%. We are pinning our hopes on last-minute bookings."
Things are also grim for the small accommodation units in Benitses which opened with the hope that Greece would be included in the green list. "Since the announcement on Thursday evening we have had cancellations of just under 30% of our bookings," says the owner of rented accommodation in Benitses. "Tourists from Germany, Poland and other countries aren't enough to fill our beds. Even those that do book are choosing flexible terms so as not to have to pay a deposit."
A large number of hotels and rented accommodation had delayed opening following the first announcement of the green list in May in the hope that they would be included in the list in the review and then open to international tourists.
At the moment the number of bookings is very low for the period and this is not expected to change if the UK doesn't include Greece or the islands in the safe list.
Hotel and accommodation owners from north to south are in despair as 80 - 100% of their customers are from the UK.
According to Corfu Hoteliers' Association President Babis Voulgaris, very few hotels have opened and the number of bookings very low. "The UK has been very tough," he said. "They didn't add any new countries to the green list. Although there is a great demand for travel, bookings aren't being made. Due to the suspension of contracts until June a lot of hotels haven't opened. It definitely forebodes a very difficult season and our goal is to try and improve on last year."
Widespread desperation
The fact that Greece remains on the amber list and the consequences for the local economy is the only topic of conversation amongst professionals involved in the tourist sector. Hotel and accommodation owners from north to south are in despair as 80 - 100% of their customers are from the UK. "The UK decision is a real problem for us," says a hotel owner in Agios Georgios Pagon. "We depend 100% on the UK market. Our hotel remains closed and we are just waiting to see what happens."
The situation is the same in Kavos, which has thousands of British visitors every year. Hotels remain closed there as well. "There is no demand from the UK market and we have had a lot of cancellations," says a local hotel owner. "At the moment bookings are at under less than 10%. We are pinning our hopes on last-minute bookings."
Things are also grim for the small accommodation units in Benitses which opened with the hope that Greece would be included in the green list. "Since the announcement on Thursday evening we have had cancellations of just under 30% of our bookings," says the owner of rented accommodation in Benitses. "Tourists from Germany, Poland and other countries aren't enough to fill our beds. Even those that do book are choosing flexible terms so as not to have to pay a deposit."
