A little (or major) financial crisis couldn’t keep young holidaymakers from enjoying Greece’s picturesque beaches, glorious sunsets, relaxed culture and parties, according to new Contiki figures.
The youth operator’s Managing Director, Katrina Barry, told KarryOn that although it may have been a challenging year for the popular destination, last year’s bookings increased 10 percent on 2014.
In case you missed it, last year Greece became the first developed country to miss an IMF loan repayment, with some €323bn in debt to pay off. Its troubled economic situation resulted in months of government negotiations, numerous protests and the closure of all banks for around three weeks.
For travellers, this meant ensuring they were stocked up in cash before they arrived in the destination as ATM withdrawals were also limited over the period.
Barry said this economic uncertainty failed to deter younger holidaymakers who seemed to be more keen than ever to visit Greece.
“While many might have thought this would have a significant impact on tourism however as end of year figures demonstrate, it was not a deterrent to young travellers.”
Katrina Barry, Contiki Managing Director
She continued, saying she expects the upward trend to continue, with external research conducted by Lonergan Research revealing Greece to be on the holiday wish list for one in three Australians aged between 18-35 to travel in the next three- to- four years.
Not to mention, with three new Greece itineraries to choose from with Contiki, Barry said demand for this year is also very high.
Among the new trips available to young holidaymakers with Contiki include the 10-day Mediterranean Escape and the 14-day Mediterranean Escape plus Greek Island Cruising.
Youngeons are also keen on booking the longer 21-day Mediterranean Escape plus Greek Island Hopping itinerary which starts in Rome and travels to the Amalfi Coast before hitting Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Ios.
“These itineraries join what is an already robust collection of trips to the region with Contiki.”
Katrina Barry, Contiki Managing Director
“Forward bookings have been very strong, indicating we’ll continue to see incremental growth to Greece well into next year.”
As part of a video promotion, Katrina travelled to Greece with 10 influencers in May last year where they captured their experience on film and created a short video.
Check out the video below:
