Business declines on two islands

The islands of Mykonos and Santorini, perhaps Greece's most famous tourist destinations, were the two glaring exceptions in the accommodation and catering business during the first half of the year: Turnover in these two destinations declined nearly 10%, while across the country, overall, it increased 8.71%.

It looks that higher prices at both hotels and restaurants did not help Mykonos and Santorini at all - quite the contrary.

Another place that bucked the overall positive trend was the regional unit of Magnesia, which includes the year-round tourist magnet of Mt Pelion (Pilio).

The area was hard hit by the disastrous floods of September 2023 and this certainly contributed to visitors finding it less attractive. Turnover in accommodation declined 4.6% during the second quarter (April-June) and 6.5% in catering compared to the same period in 2023.

The...