Senin, 11 Juni 2012

Greece: Tour operator slashes prices to tempt British holidaymakers

Greece: Tour operator slashes prices to tempt British holidaymakers

By Travelmail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 06:34 EST, 11 June 2012 | UPDATED: 10:05 EST, 11 June 2012

British holidaymakers are being offered big discounts on peak summer packages to Greece as tour operators try to persuade tourists to return to the crisis-hit country.

Olympic Holidays - one of the biggest tour operators to Greece - has slashed its prices by 25 per cent for holidays in July and August.

Several tour operators have begun offering discounts to customers - but this is the first time a company has cut its prices for the busiest travel period. 

A view of Rhodes island showing tourists sunbathing on the beach

Holiday hotspot: The island of Rhodes is popular with British holidaymakers

Olympic Holidays' commercial director Photis Lambrianides said the cuts were unusual but had been prompted by a unique set of circumstances.

He told TravelMail: ‘Although some commentators have quite rightly been pointing out that there’s never been a better year to go to Greece, people are still rather uncertain. 

‘We have started tactical discounting on selected holidays, where we have commitments to flight seats and hotel beds, and these offer families amazing value for peak season.’

Discounts include £536 off a seven-night, four-star package to Rhodes for a family of four in July, which now costs £2,080.


Meanwhile, a week in Corfu in a two-star self-catering studio will set a family of four back £1,108 - a saving of £560.

A statement on the company’s website seeks to reassure customers that it is safe to travel to the country.

It states: ‘Life goes on and visitors to the resorts in Greece we feature can be assured of the same warm welcome that the Greek people traditionally give visitors.’

The company also provides advice on what to do if the Euro collapses in the country, and claims that its customers could benefit if Greece were to return to the Drachma.

A view of the harbour at Agios Stefanos, Corfu

Picture perfect: As many as four million Britons are planning to head to Greek holiday destinations such as Corfu this summer

Last month it was reported that British holiday bookings to Greece had soared, with as many as four million Britons planning to head to the country this summer - double the average number.

Travel agents reported that bookings for all-inclusive holidays in Greece were up by a third, with many tour operators slashing prices.

A survey by foreign exchange company Travelex showed that some people had deliberately booked trips to Greece due to the strengthening of the pound against the euro.

But there has been further concern for travellers following the news that the country had been hit by an earthquake yesterday.

Areas of Greece and Turkey popular with holidaymakers were affected by 40 small quakes earthquakes within a 24-hour period, the biggest of which occurred just before 4pm yesterday and registered 5.8 on the Richter scale.

The Greek holiday island of Rhodes - which attracts more than 1.25 million British visitors e ach year - was one of the tourist hotspots affected, although police said there had been no reports of injury or damage.

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Don't believe all the hype, bookings from UK to Greece are down significantly. It is now too expensive to go there for many UK residents, the exchange rate is still very poor compared to a few years ago and prices in Greece have also increased dramatically. When we first went to Greece about 25 yrs ago, prices in tavernas were about a third of what it would cost in UK, now they are about 3 times as much(apart from beer), so effectively a six fold increase.

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I wish the prices to travel to Greece from the US would be slashed! It is still expensive here! The people in the UK are lucky that they can get a all-inclusive package deal for mere pennies! So cheap!!! Quit worrying about the politics and just go!

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