Crete Hotels Rely on Last-Minute Bookings Despite Strong Visitor Growth

Hotels on the large island of Crete are increasingly relying on last-minute bookings and price discounts to maintain occupancy during the peak summer season, raising concerns that tourism revenues will fall short of expectations despite another year of strong visitor arrivals.

Manolis Tsakalakis, a former president of the Rethymno Hoteliers Association, said many hotels have been forced to reduce room rates to sustain occupancy as bookings continue to come in at the last minute.

He estimated hotel occupancy in the Rethymno area will reach about 85% in July after averaging around 80% in June, when overnight stays declined by 3% compared with the same month last year. He added that several luxury hotels, particularly in Rethymno, have reported lower occupancy than anticipated.