Despite Spain’s Strength Thomas Cook Targets Greece for Tourism Growth in 2017


Skift Take

While it's good news for Greece that bookings are on the rise, the struggle to find value in Spain shows just how difficult a summer it might be for European tour operators. Thomas Cook's cautious outlook hints at gloomier times ahead.

After suffering both an economic and migrant crisis, Greece appears to be firmly on the way back as a holiday destination. The country currently occupies the number one spot for the Thomas Cook following a 40 percent rise in the number of bookings. The tour operator expects to take around 2.5 million people to the country over the next twelve months, a similar level to the pre-crisis year of 2014. The increase come on the back of the tour operator putting on two extra flights and being able to secure more hotel beds. The rise in Greece, as well as interest in smaller destinations such as Croatia and Bulgaria has offset a continued reluctance of consumers to travel to Turkey, which continues to suffer from the impact of a geopolitical problems. Greece’s upsurge in popularity may also come at the expense