kathimerini.gr

Greek Tourism Growth Slows in 2025

Greece's tourism sector shows signs of slowing growth in the first half of 2025, with Santorini experiencing a significant 24.4% drop in arrivals from January to May, while Athens and Thessaloniki show continued growth; however, overall growth is marginal.

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Greek

Greece

EconomyTransportSantoriniGreek TourismRegional DisparityMykonosTourism SlowdownSkiathos

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What is the overall impact of the slowdown in Greek tourism growth, considering the varying performance across different regions?: Greek tourism growth is slowing, particularly in popular destinations like Santorini, which saw a 24.4% drop in arrivals from January to May. This slowdown follows record-high tourism numbers in 2024, and while Athens and Thessaloniki continue to grow, the overall increase is marginal.
What factors contribute to Santorini's significant decline in tourist arrivals, and how does this compare to other islands' experiences?: The slowdown is evident in passenger traffic at 14 regional airports and ferry services, along with data from hotels and travel agencies. Santorini's decline is attributed to seismic activity, the high volume of cruise and day-trip visitors, and concerns about the quality of the tourist experience versus prices.
What strategies could be implemented to address the challenges facing Greek tourism, ensuring sustainability and maintaining the quality of the tourist experience?: The tourism industry anticipates a stabilizing, rather than growth-oriented, season if current trends continue. The contrast between Athens and Thessaloniki's growth and the decline in island destinations suggests a need for differentiated strategies to manage tourism sustainably and improve visitor experience.

Cognitive Concepts

3/5

Framing Bias

The headline and introduction immediately highlight the slowdown in tourism, setting a negative tone. The article prioritizes the negative aspects, such as decreases in visitor numbers and potential impacts on the quality of experience, while presenting the positive aspects (growth in Athens and Thessaloniki) only later. This framing could potentially leave readers with a primarily negative impression of the current state of Greek tourism.

1/5

Language Bias

The article uses fairly neutral language, generally avoiding loaded terms. However, phrases such as "βαθιά ύφεση" (deep recession) regarding Santorini could be considered somewhat loaded and could be replaced with a more neutral phrasing such as "significant decrease". Similarly, describing the criticism of the quality of experience as "επιφυλακτικές" (reserved) might carry a slightly negative connotation, and could be replaced with a more neutral description such as "cautious".

3/5

Bias by Omission

The article focuses heavily on the decrease in tourism in Santorini and Mykonos, but lacks a broader analysis of the reasons behind the slowdown in other popular destinations. While mentioning a potential connection between visitor numbers and quality of experience, it doesn't explore this relationship in depth for other locations. The impact of potential economic factors or global tourism trends are not discussed. The article also omits discussion of the potential positive effects of reduced tourism in certain areas, such as reduced environmental stress.

2/5

False Dichotomy

The article presents a somewhat false dichotomy by contrasting the slowdown in certain island destinations with the continued growth in Athens and Thessaloniki. While acknowledging different growth rates, it doesn't fully explore the nuances within the data, potentially oversimplifying the overall picture of Greek tourism.

Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Cities and Communities Negative

Direct Relevance

The article highlights a slowdown in tourism growth in several popular Greek destinations, including a significant decrease in Santorini. This impacts the sustainability of these communities, which heavily rely on tourism for their economic and social well-being. Over-tourism is mentioned as a contributing factor to the decrease in visitor numbers in Santorini, indicating unsustainable practices. The economic implications of reduced tourism revenue affect local businesses and employment.

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