Corfu tourism professionals observe slight decline in German market
CORFU. They point out that it is not related to the bankruptcy of FTI but to the rise in cost of living and recession that have affected Germany.
Professionals in the sector observe a slight decline in the German market in Corfu. They told Enimerosi that it is not related to the financial collapse of the travel giant FTI, as its bankruptcy was expected, but to the inflation and high prices that Germany is facing.
The signs were already evident from the winter, when early bookings began, and even at the ITB tourism exhibition held last March in Berlin, the outlook was cautiously optimistic for Corfu, as the recession that the German economy experienced at the end of 2023, after decades of growth, had an impact.
"The German market is not active. There is no flow of sales," Spyros Rokas, Vice President of the Corfu Hoteliers Association, told Enimerosi. "This was evident from the early bookings in the winter. The FTI bankruptcy has nothing to do with it." He added that there are, of course, German tourists on the island but not in the usual numbers. "One-third of Corfu's tourists used to be Germans. Now it is somewhat less than that."
"There is no reason to worry about Corfu's inbound tourism in general," travel agent Vassilis Kaloudis told Enimerosi. "When one market does not perform well, it is replaced by another. The FTI bankruptcy does not seem to have an impact."
According to Central Corfu Deputy Mayor of Tourism, Spyros Halikiopoulos, the bankruptcy of FTI was expected due to the financial problems it was facing, noting that the gap created will be filled by other agencies. He pointed out that, on a local level, the holiday packages of visitors from Germany had been prepaid, avoiding the risk of non-payment to hoteliers and other involved businesses. According to him, the German market on our island shows a slight decline related to the recession, inflation, high prices, and the increase in airfares.
However, numerically, the discrepancy is not significant when comparing the airport numbers for May of last year and this year from the German market. This May, 45,896 German visitors arrived, compared to 46,748 in the same month last year. Nevertheless, other factors should be considered, such as the number of overnight stays in the island's available accommodation, whether in hotels, rental rooms, or Airbnb.
Increase in number of visitors from Poland
Meanwhile, numbers are increasinf from other markets, and new destinations have been added by airlines this year, making up for the lost numbers. Apart from the UK market, which consistently ranks first in arrivals, the Polish market is showing positive signs, as Dimitris Roussos, President of the Corfu Civil Aviation Authority Employees Union, told Enimerosi. "The reduction in German tourists is numerically offset by the Polish tourists, though not financially. Among the new destinations this year, we also have Malta," he commented.
July bookings achieved with difficulty
Regarding the occupancy rates in the island's hotels, June was very satisfactory, according to Mr. Rokas, reaching 80%-95%. On the other hand, July was difficult, and the target was achieved thanks to the offers made. "August will gradually fill up," he noted. "There is some difficulty at the moment. The main reason is the cost of living crisis, which makes it difficult for people. Conversely, we are doing well at the edges of the season if we consider April and May."
MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI
Photo: Enimerosi archive
