Tourist ‘breath’ in Samos and from the vouchers

The Vouchers of 300 euros and 150 euros respectively that have been made available so far have given a very significant boost to this year’s tourist traffic in Samos and North Evia, as the presidents of the local hotel associations pointed out to the Athenian Macedonian News Agency. Especially in the month of July, the above finding was very evident both in Samos and North Evia, a fact that gave many smiles of optimism to the entire tourist world of the two destinations, as it was emphasized.

In the current period, both of these areas are experiencing an excellent August in terms of occupancy in the offered rooms, while the operators do not rule out an extension of the tourist season beyond October.

The above finding is reinforced by the recent statement of Deputy Minister to Prime Minister Christos Triandopoulos, who pointed out that in September 7,000-8,000 immaterial digital debit cards of 150 euros will be made available again for citizens to use for tourism in North Evia and the Samo.

S. Zaharaki: One of the main priorities was the support of citizens, households and businesses, especially in the affected areas

One of our main priorities in this difficult year in many ways was the support of citizens, households and businesses, especially in the areas affected by natural disasters and other causes, Deputy Minister of Tourism Sofia Zaharakis tells APE-MPE and continues: “And this is what we are trying to do. to put it into practice in many ways. At the Ministry of Tourism we have prioritized with a special legislative provision the payments of hotels and tourist offices of affected areas for the Tourism for All program. At the same time in our campaign for the 2022 tourism season we have given special emphasis to unique experiences such as tourism of wellness offered in North Evia while we have included the promotion of wellness tourism but also special forms of tourism such as wine tourism, fishing tourism, sports tourism, religious tourism and other forms in our strategic planning targeting target countries through exhibitions and promotion and communication actions and for next year”.

The “Greek4ForYou” campaign, which concerned the 5 islands of the Eastern Aegean (Chios, Lesvos, Leros, Samos and Kos) will continue in 2022 and 2023.

Referring to the actions of the ministry in terms of the development of thematic forms of tourism, she emphasizes the following:

“For the first time in the history of the further education institution of the Ministry of Tourism, we are providing the specialty of the Bath Therapy/Thalassotherapy Executive exclusively with a pilot application in Edipsos for 2022. The successful tourism campaign “Greek4ForYou”, which also concerned the 5 islands of the East of the Aegean (Chios, Lesbos, Leros, Samos and Kos) will continue in 2022 and 2023 with a special program of tourism promotion abroad as well as the Greek market with funding from the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum. All of the above in combination with targeted social programs of tourism and the passes, but also the coordinated actions with municipalities and regions, we want them to become a solid basis for the recovery and sustainable tourism development of the affected areas in our country”.

As far as Samos is concerned, the president of the Hoteliers Union of the island, Yiannis Fterogiannis, pointed out that the 300 euro voucher helped a lot the Greeks who wanted to visit Samos, since it reduced the transportation costs to a minimum. August for Samos runs with over 90% occupancy and finding a room is very difficult for those who want to book a last minute vacation, reports Mr. Fterogiannis. With more than 2,000 rooms on offer, finding a room is a difficult bet. There are scheduled charters in Samos until the middle of October, a fact that makes Mr. Fterogiannis optimistic about the extension of the tourist season until November.

On the same wavelength, the president of the Association of Hotels and Baths of Edipsos, Theodoros Roumeliotis, expresses to APE-MBE his optimism for the current course of tourism in North Evia and focuses on the positive impact that the 150 euro vouchers have had on the area’s traffic. As he explains, these enabled families to visit North Evia on weekends in July, something that was very prominent in the region. In the meantime, Mr. Roumeliotis expects a new wave of visitors in September after the announcement of the new 7,000 150 euro coupons that will be available at the end of August, as Mr. Roumeliotis reports.

August for Edipsos runs with occupancies that reach 100%, which satisfies the tourist world of the region, according to Mr. Roumeliotis. It should be noted that the tourism agencies of the region are running actions to extend the tourist season. In September, specifically from the 15th to the 19th, a Dance Dance Festival will take place, with dancers from Romania, as a result of the cooperation of the Municipality of Istiia Edipsos, the Hoteliers’ Union and the Greeks of Romania. In fact, a group of 300 people is expected to come to Edipsos for the dance festival, as explained by Mr. Roumeliotis.

Samos has a rich natural and cultural reserve

Samos today has a very rich network of tourist facilities and services for foreign visitors, which contribute to a different form of economic development. In addition to its natural beauties, its beautiful beaches and the rich vegetation of its mountains, the visitor can visit the archaeological sites in Heraion and the Eupalineo trench, its archaeological and Byzantine museums in Samos, the Library and the Historical Archive, in the Paleontological Museum with the impressive finds in Mytilene. And one can still visit the monasteries with the impressive frescoes, the Great Virgin Mary, the Virgin Mary Vrontiani, St. Zoni, the Life-giving Spring.

Also the industrial buildings, tanneries in Karlovasi, tobacco factories in the city of Samos, wine cellars in Ag. Konstantinos and many others that remind of the culture and daily life of Samos from earlier times. Moreover, each village with its church, school, arrangement of houses around the square, gardens, vineyards and small olive groves, as well as the chapels that are scattered in the most beautiful locations form a very charming image and a pole of attraction for every foreign visitor. (Source Municipality of Samos)

North Evia claims a significant share of the tourist traffic

As Ioannis Kontzias, the mayor of Istiaia – Edipsos, has emphasized to the Athenian Macedonian News Agency, this year North Evia is claiming a significant share of the tourist traffic. At the same time that the region is regenerating and greening, leaving behind the image of destruction, there is widespread optimism that the region of North Evia has all the conditions to emerge as a top destination for the Greek visitor.

During this period, the main volume of foreign visitors comes from Romania, while before the war in Ukraine, the markets of the Balkans and also of Russia gave a potential “attendance” to the region every year, explains the president of the Baths of Edipsos Hotel Association. In the meantime, the targeting of tourism operators also includes the development of relations with Poland and Israel, as Mr. Kontzias said.

The open invitation to Greek and foreign visitors is not limited to the sun and sea model, as dozens of paths have already been carved out for tour enthusiasts, while a certified winery and a cheese factory await visitors for special tours of the secrets of wine and milk.

It should be emphasized that North Evia is home to many important monasteries. The Holy Church of Agios Ioannis Rossos and the Monastery of Saint David are particularly popular, receiving visitors from all over Greece and abroad. In the meantime, the Monastery of Osias Irini Chrysovalantou, Panagia Dinios, the Monastery of Agios Georgios and the Galataki Monastery are open to the public.