Under 2 million tourists in Crete in 2009

tourists at matala beach in creteFewer than 2,000,000 tourists are expected to visit Crete this year, compared to 2,700,000 last year. The huge drop in charter flights translates into losses of many millions of euros, the President of the Hotel-Owners’ Union Nikiforos Lambrinos told the Patris newspaper yesterday.

The President of the Hotel-Owners’ Union notes that there will be a drop in all tourist markets, British, German, Russian, etc. “We are waiting for the Berlin Exhibition in March for a fuller picture.”

The drop in the British market will be particularly steep, ranging from 30 to 40%, while German arrivals are to fall by 15-20%.

Mr Lambrinos noted that those travelling this year will choose the cheapest destinations, such as Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and other destinations outside the Eurozone.

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Crete Gazette