Chalkidiki region cautiously optimistic on Russian tourist market

The Chalkidiki Tourism Organisation took part in the Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT) for the 20th yearwith expectations for a rise in Russian tourists running high. Chalkidiki took part in the expo with its own stand, as did region of central Macedonia and both hope to caapitalise on the celebrations of the 2,400 years of Aristotle’s birthday and the Greco-Russian year of friendship, while the frequent presence of a strong Russian contingent of Russian pilgrims on Mount Athos in Chalkidiki is also expected to boost the overall numbers of travelers to the wider area. Both central Macedonia and Chalkidiki offer top notch hotel infrastructure, which another selling point in their marketing campaign to the Russian outbound tourism industry. The Russian market is currently ‘on hold’ for a number of reasons, including the Euro-Ruble rate, the refugee crisis, the terrorist attacks and fast visa processing. Market projections see a slight 10 percent jump in arrivals, while a recent study showed that 50 percent of Russians have opted to stay in Russia for their holidays instead of going to Turkey.