Extended holidays in warm European countries are being marketed towards Britons this winter. They are being touted as an economically savvy alternative to racking up large energy bills while staying at home.
The UK Government has capped energy bills for the average household at £2,500-a-year. But while this keeps them lower than market rates, many will still be paying significantly more for their gas and electricity than previous winters.
Spotting an opportunity, tourism chiefs in Greece, southern Spain and the Canary Islands are encouraging Britons to visit their warmer countries instead. The trend has been branded "thermal tourism" - a more depressing slant on the winter sun phenomenon associated with cheap air travel and an eagerness to escape the UK's drizzly shores.
Greece's tourism minister Vassilis Kikilias is encouraging Brits to visit the country in an effort to mitigate the effects of the cost of living crisis. He told the Observer: “Our doors are open 12 months round, our friends in northern Europe should know this. They should head here for the winter."
A £17.5 million advertising campaign will soon be launched across Europe by the Greek government. It will feature the tagline: “Wanna feel 20 again? With warm winter temperatures up to 20C, Greece is the place to be.”
The Mirror reports how the president of the Spanish federation of tourist departments Miguel Ángel Sotillos is also enthusiastic about the possibility of British tourists arriving this winter. He said: “From what we’re seeing, people are realising that it’s cheaper to come here than to put the heating on at home."
He continued: “What we’re saying is that it might be less costly to turn off the heat back home and come here. It’s as simple as that.”
Dimitris Maziotis, a PR strategist who is helping push Greece as a destination this winter, has said he wants to change the focus from the Western Mediterranean to the Eastern. Last month TravelTime World launched a campaign in September called “The Heat is On". It argued that people should take long holidays this winter as the cost of living in other countries was so much less than the UK, the price of flights and accommodation would be outweighed.
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