Aegean’s Athens bid for weekend tourists
AEGEAN Airlines is targeting Britons in plans to extend the tourist season in Greece and draw more visitors to Athens.
Michalis Kouveliotis, Aegean’s chief financial officer, said that the airline is working with tourism groups and authorities in the Greek capital to promote the city as an all-year-round destination for weekend breaks.
He said: “The perception that people have of Athens is that its too far away (as a destination) but its only an extra hour away from Italy.
“Athens has a lot to offer. It is vibrant, there is history, the good weather, activities.”
Kouveliotis added that to help Greece’s domestic flight market Aegean hopes to tempt Athens visitors into exploring more of the country. “What we want to do is try to get people to come to Athens for three days and then go to one of the islands,” he said.
Last week Aegean took delivery of the first batch of new Airbus A320 neo and A321 neo planes. Aegean has ordered 46 planes to refresh and expand its fleet.the jets feature special holders for passengers’ smartphones and tablet computers, which they can use to access the in-flight entertainment system.
He added that Aegean believes Britons will continue to flock to Greece, regardless of Brexit. “We’re confident it will not impact demand.”