Paros starred in tourism in the midst of the pandemic – What the data say

The “endurance” of the tourist destination of Paros in the pandemic is noted in APE-MPE by the mayor of Paros Markos Kovaios, emphasizing that with an average fall in 2020, at country level, more than 50% compared to 2019 and despite the decrease by 40% of ferry services, the main quarter of the summer months of 2020 closed with a drop of only 20%.

In the report made by the mayor of Paros, he states that the “endurance” of the destination was confirmed by the latest statistics, as according to data from the CAA, in the ten months of January-October 2021 at the airport of Paros, 92,399 passengers arrived. An important element of the quality upgrade of the island was the fact that Paros was the only island of the Cyclades in the last quarter of 2021 which, along with other island destinations, was among the most popular for flights by private jets, as the mayor explains.

Revealing in terms of the financial result of the past year are the data of ELSTAT for the turnover in companies with obligation to keep bibliographic data of the accommodation sector for the period from May to October 2021, always according to Mr. Kovaios. Specifically, according to them, 21,177,973 euros were collected in Paros. Specifically, in the quarter from June to August the following receipts were recorded: in June it was 1,807,031, in July 5,655,309 and in August 9,069,290 euros. Characteristic is the superiority of Paros over other destinations even in November, where receipts of 210,352 euros were recorded, as he explains. The results in terms of catering were equally satisfactory. According to ELSTAT data, the turnover of the third quarter of 2021 reached 38,303,518 euros, recording an increase of 104.7% compared to the same period of 2020.

Finally, regarding the strategy followed by the municipality during the examined tourist season, Mr. Kovaios stated that it took into account the general trends that developed from time to time, but also the timing of the resurgence of demand from specific markets, according to the general policy. exercised by the state with regard to bilateral relations. Typical examples are Israel’s approach by setting up online contacts with travel market professionals a few days before the Prime Minister’s trip to Tel Aviv, the approach of British travel agencies handling tourists over the age of 50, etc.

Source: AMPE