The imperative need for an organized development plan for Thessaloniki as a tourist destination is underlined by the results of the 2023 study “Profile & Satisfaction of Tourists – Hotel Performance of Thessaloniki”.
Based on the data of the study, the city received the lowest grade (7.8) in recent years from its tourists.
Nevertheless, 9 out of 10 tourists said they would visit again and recommend it to friends.
Where did Thessaloniki disappoint the tourists?
More specifically, the visitors of Thessaloniki gave the lowest grade to the public cleanliness, which barely passed the… base, as it received only 5.4, according to the research conducted by the Managing Consultant of GBR Consulting on behalf of the Thessaloniki Hotel Association (EXTH ) and was conducted on a sample of 1,450 people in the period September – December 2023 – January 2024.
The survey shows the rating of the city by tourists from 2015 to 2023, while it was presented at today’s event by the managing consultant of GBR Consulting, Stefen Merkenhof.
2023 was the first year after the pandemic, that Thessaloniki experienced tourism at a satisfactory level, after everyday life returned to a completely normal rhythm, pointed out the president of the ΕΤΥ, Andreas Mandrinos, noting, however, that in the survey questions whether its visitors would recommend Thessaloniki to others and if they wish to visit it again, the percentages of 92% and 91% respectively, were the lowest in recent years.
Also, as he said, 2023 was the year in which Thessaloniki was evaluated overall with the lowest grade (7.8) in recent years.
Research: The touristic identity of Thessaloniki: Culture, gastronomy, prices – The impact
Belgian students will design the tourism product of Thessaloniki – For educational purposes
Airbnb’s “wound” on one and two-star hotels
He also emphasized that the hotels of the smallest categories, one and two stars, are immediately at risk due to the unfair competition they receive from Airbnb accommodations and referring to the “black” spots of the city, Mr. Mandrinos pointed out that not only remained exactly the same (roads & sidewalks, public cleanliness, noise & air pollution, public transport, green), but also received the lowest evaluation of the period 2015-2023.
“Fortunately, the new municipal authority shows with its work so far, that there will be an improvement in these areas and this is very encouraging for the immediate future”, he pointed out characteristically and expressed his assessment that 2023 will be the last year with low performance of the city in tourism.
Thessaloniki: Gastronomy wins over tourists
He pointed out that for one more year, in 2023, Thessaloniki’s identity as a city of gastronomy and entertainment was confirmed, since the main reasons for choosing it for both Greeks and foreigners continued to be nightlife/entertainment, food and shopping. He added that this year’s research showed that in the year 2023 the hotels of the region maintained their high rating (8.7) both in terms of their facilities and in terms of the relationship between price/quality (8.3).
However, as he said, the constant satisfaction of visitors with the hotel infrastructure of Thessaloniki – which is being improved and strengthened with new units – was not enough to change the image of the financial data of the hotels, since for another year Thessaloniki remained in the last place in terms of both the average room price and the revenue per available room in the benchmarking between our city and ten other European cities of similar size. “This can only change if the city takes professional steps in its tourism development, something that has been a wish for many years but has not been implemented,” Mr. Mandrinos emphasized.
“Thessaloniki is not following the pace of development observed in other regions of the country”, he pointed out and expressed his hope that 2023 would be the last year that this happened and that in the future the foundations laid by all the competent bodies for the future.
Research by numbers
“The results of the 2023 study show that there was little progress compared to 2019,” said the managing consultant of GBR Consulting, Stefen Merkenhof, emphasizing that “at Thessaloniki Airport, in 2023 compared to 2019, international arrivals increased only 0.8%. It should be noted that the connection with the Russian market was interrupted and that in 2021 Ellinair stopped its operation.
Speaking about road tourism, he pointed out that “in 2023 compared to 2019, road arrivals at the entry points of Promachona connecting Thessaloniki with Sofia decreased by 29% and at Evzoni connecting it with Skopje decreased by 5%, with the total drop at border stations amounting to 15%. Of course, as he hastened to point out, during this particular period the overnight stays of Romanians and Bulgarians were not only not affected, but increased. In fact, according to him, overnight stays in Thessaloniki’s hotels remained stable, since a 1% decrease in overnight stays by foreigners was recorded and an equal increase by Greeks.
In 2023, the overnight mix of the main foreign markets remained stable compared to 2015. On the one hand, the Russian market was lost, on the other hand, the share of visitors from the USA increased. Comparing 2023 with 2019, occupancy marked a decrease of 4.2%, and at the same time the hotel capacity of the Thessaloniki Regional Unit increased by 4 units and 285 rooms, an increase of 1.4% and 3.5% respectively.
At +25% the average room rate- Decrease or stability in the satisfaction indicators
Over the same period, in an environment of high inflation and rising operating costs, the average room rate increased by 25%. Comparing it with European competitor cities, Thessaloniki had the lowest average room price in 2023. The highest increase was recorded in Edinburgh with 46% and the lowest in Dusseldorf with 7%.
Comparing 2023 with 2019, occupancy decreased by 4.2% to 67.8% from 72%, while the hotel capacity of the Thessaloniki Regional Unit increased by four units and 285 rooms, an increase of 1, 4% and 3.5% respectively,
Guest satisfaction saw a further decline in almost all indicators. Only a few indicators remained stable, and none of them improved between 2015 – 2023. The city’s overall visitor experience rating decreased from 8.1 in 2019, to 7.9 in 2022 and to 7.8 in 2023. However, more than 90% of hotel guests would recommend Thessaloniki and visit again. The score for hotels and value for money remained stable compared to 2022 at 8.7 and 8.3 respectively.
Unfortunately, the “black” spots of the city not only remained exactly the same but also received the lowest evaluation of the period 2015-2023. Specifically, roads and sidewalks were evaluated with 5.7, public cleanliness with 5.4, noise and air pollution with 6.2 and 6.3 vice versa, public transport with 5.6 and parks – green with 6, 1.
Central Macedonia: Beaches, city breaks in Thessaloniki and archaeological sites are the preferences of tourists
Thessaloniki: 35 social structures in twelve municipalities in operation by the end of 2025
Regarding the short-term rental market, Mr. Merkenhof pointed out that it remains largely unregulated and affects the local community. He also emphasized that it reached 3,600 units in the municipality of Thessaloniki, when hotel rooms amount to 4,800.
Thessaloniki has been left behind
As stated in the research: in terms of infrastructure, Thessaloniki remains “behind”. A number of key infrastructure projects have not started or are in the planning stage or ongoing, such as the state of the road borders, access to and from the airport, the redevelopment of the Thessaloniki International Fair, the waterfront and parking areas, while the works of the Flyover project have been temporarily suspended by the CoE.
However, on the other hand, if at some point all major infrastructure projects are delivered, if at the end of 2024 the 13 metro stations are operational, if the Municipality of Thessaloniki delivers the projects needed for safety, cleanliness, the quality of sidewalks and roads, greenery and parking, Thessaloniki will become a truly attractive city for its residents and visitors and will be able to attract new markets and tourists with the support of a new strategic plan, in which all stakeholders will participate.
Tourists will have easy access and enjoy the “vibe” of Thessaloniki with its rich culture and history through the existing and new museums and archaeological sites of the wider area, gastronomy, entertainment options, shopping facilities, events and finally, the locals, whose behavior is always one of the highlights of the experience. In the hotel sector, investments have been made and many new projects are in the pipeline, including new hotels with international brands and national chains.
The presentation of the survey of tourist satisfaction and hotel performance of the company “GBR Consulting” for 2023 took place in the presence of representatives of the state and the Deputy Minister of the Interior (Macedonia-Thrace), Stathis Konstantinidis, the self-government, tourism and other agencies of the city and members of EXTH.
