With 50 years' expertise in the Greece and Greek Islands holiday market, Olympic Holidays is confidently 'The Island Specialist'.

Last month the company announced the addition of 10 new destinations and more than 200 properties to its portfolio including year-round Spanish Islands, winter-sun Egypt and more Greece and Cyprus resorts, together with a number of new island hopping and island swopping experiences.

The streamlining of the portfolio in this increasingly competitive market has been driven by customer confidence with clients demanding for flexibility combined with a desire to discover and rediscover. Here, Olympic Holidays predicts its hotspots and highlights trends for 2020:

Island hopping and swapping – featuring 20 island packages

Olympic Holidays guests are set to re-live their youth and back-packing days (now with money on their side!) but with a more luxurious experience. Guests are taking a second look at the Greek islands and in 2020 can take advantage of Olympic's new island hopping experiences and packages to almost 20 islands savouring the delights of two or three islands in one exciting holiday. Island hopping options include 'Kos, Rhodes & Symi', 'Santorini, Naxos & Mykonos', 'Crete, Paros & Santorini', 'Skiathos, Skopelos & Alonnisos' while island swapping options include 'Rhodes & Karpathos', 'Kos & Kalymnos', 'Corfu & Paxos'.

Guests can mix it up with an inspiring range of accommodation from luxurious hotels with infinity pools and sumptuous spas to traditional studios next to a taverna, perhaps opting for a few days on the beach before hopping to a party island and moving on again to explore the countryside and cultural treasures.

And on Crete it's now possible to hop around to different destinations on the island – flying into one airport and departing from another. For visitors who want to immerse themselves in history, Olympic has also added four to seven-night organised tours to Olympia and Delphi with expert guides. 

Twin Centre Cyprus

Olympic Holidays believes it will see growing interest in twin centre holidays to Cyprus – beach and mountain – with a focus on rural tourism, with cycling becoming increasingly popular. As a result, the company has launched a couple of twin centre stays including:

'Ayia Napa & Kalopanayiotis'– Ayia Napa has a reputation for being the place to party but it boasts some of the finest beaches on Cyprus and an award-winning waterpark. There are plenty of quiet, family friendly beaches nearby to enjoy or take a boat trip or jeep safari to the stunning Ayia Napa sea caves, an area of rock arches, tunnels and partly submerged caves at the start of a beautiful national park.

Kalopanayiotis is a welcoming and traditional village that cascaes down the mountainside. One of the most beautiful villages in Cyprus, with springs, traditional buildings and panoramic views.

Olympic Holidays (www.olympicholidays.com; 020 8492 6868) offers a 10-night twin centre itinerary (five nights in each destination) from £929pp, summer 2020 departures from London Gatwick. Price includes flights and accommodation.

 'Limassol & Polis and Latchi'– Limassol is a modern resort with a history that stretches back 5,000 years. The long, wide beach is separated from the town by a smart promenade. Narrow shopping streets and an atmospheric market square spread out from a revitalized fishing port, a modern marina and a 1,000-year old castle.  Polis and Latchi offer an ideal location for a quiet holiday. Latchi is on the edge of the beautiful Akamas National Park and boasts a picturesque fishing harbour lined with tavernas with rural Polis just four km away where life centres around the square and its many facilities.

Olympic Holidays (www.olympicholidays.com; 020 8492 6868) offers a 10-night twin centre itinerary (Five nights in each destination) from £1,079pp, summer 2020 departures from London Gatwick. Price includes flights and accommodation. 

Athens and beyond

Olympic Holidays predicts Athens, the Athens Riviera and neighbouring islands to be a popular choice for 2020. Athens is the ultimate mix of ancient history and lively, cultural chic. The Greek capital is home to some of the most important heritage of the ancient Greek civilisation with sites such as the Acropolis sitting alongside a vibrant restaurant culture and increasingly popular art scene.
The Athens Riviera combines the wonders of the lively city with some of Greece's most idyllic and glamourous beaches and from the port of Piraeus, head out to Spetses which is loved by affluent Athenians. This beautiful island has avoided too much development and with no airport visitors can only arrive by boat or water taxi. Explore Neoclassical houses, indulge in some serious window shopping and with no noisy traffic (cars are banned), take a horse-drawn carriage or hire a bike to explore this unique island.

Olympic Holidays (www.olympicholidays.com; 020 8492 6868) offers a nine-night island hopping itinerary (three nights each in Athens, Poros & Spetses) from £1,499pp, summer 2020 departures from Manchester (other regional airports available). Price includes flights and accommodation, all ferries and private car transfers between the ferry port and hotels.

Egypt

When the Foreign Office lifted the travel ban to Sharm El-Sheikh, Olympic Holidays re-introduced the destination and believes that visitors to the area will continue to grow and popularity will gain momentum in 2020. New five-star hotels and world-class dive sites make it an alluring destination. Olympic also features Hurghada as a new winter sun option.

Royal Star Beach Resort, Hurghada, Egypt

Royal Star Beach Resort is near the centre of Hurghada and offers bright, modern rooms with sea views. It has an outdoor pool, restaurant and a private beach. All rooms have a balcony, air conditioning, flat-screen TV and a minibar. Guests can dine in the à la carte restaurant or buffet which serves international cuisine. Free wifi is available in public areas.Seven nights' all-inclusive from £602pp staying in a standard room including flights from London Gatwick. Price based on January 2020 travel (www.olympicholidays.com; 020 8492 6868).

Rixos Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Rixos Sharm el Sheikh is in Nabq Bay, with views of the Gulf of Aqaba and Tiran Island. Here guests discover the heritage of Egypt's pristine Red Sea, and surround themselves in luxury. The resort is 8km from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and is close to the Old Market, Ras Mohammed, Tiran Island as well as being near prime dive sites. Seven nights' all-inclusive from £1,150pp staying in a superior room including flights from London Gatwick. Price based on May 2020 travel (www.olympicholidays.com; 020 8492 6868).

Sustainability

Olympic Holidays is set to release its 'Green Flame' in its next brochure to recognise properties that take sustainability to the next level. The company first hinted at this during WTM 2019 and awarded 'Creta Maris Beach Resort, Crete'its Sustainability Award at their inaugural Annual Awards ceremony. This innovative resort takes its green credentials seriously and has recently run a voluntary clean-up operation in Heraklion. On World Clean-up Day (September 21) more than 130 employees put on gloves and collected 88 cubic feet of waste and 20 bags of recyclables.The hotel's aim is to raise environmental awareness and improve the image of the wider area of Hersonissos. Creta Maris has put sustainability at the top of its priorities which also creates value for the local community. The team also recently welcomed 50 local students to raise their awareness of sustainable waste management practices that have been developed over the last three years and show how it contributes to the resort's Zero Waste policy. 

Throughout 2020, Olympic will scrutinise how properties work to minimise negative economic, environmental and social impact. We will highlight restaurants serving locally sourced food, those using energy efficient lightbulbs, locally produced amenities, as well as efficient use of air conditioning and heating equipment to save energy – and those who train staff on green practices. T

We will also flag up hotels and resorts that add direct value to local communities with action such as beach clean-ups, voluntourism, contribution to conservation of cultural and natural heritage and encouraging souvenirs to be made from renewable sources.
There's more to come from Olympic Holidays on this topic in Jan 2020 so watch this space …

Notes to Editors:

For media enquiries or images: Peel+Williams

Kathryn Peel kathryn@peelwilliams.com; 07904 734 594

Jonathan Williams jonathan@peelwilliams.com; 07979 770 209

Olympic Holidays is the UK's leading Greece & Cyprus Holiday Company, delivering holidays to both destinations since 1967. The company has more than 50 years of Island Travel expertise.

Olympic Holidays offers holidays to more European Island destinations than any other holiday company: 50 destinations & islands from 27 UK airports.

Olympic Holidays offers the best low deposit option in travel: From £89 to secure a booking. Nothing to pay until 12 weeks prior to travel.  Price guaranteed at time of booking, no surcharges, no price changes, whatever the market fluctuations. 

The “Budget Buddy” tool on the Olympic Holidays website allows customers to pay as much or as little towards their holiday account balance whenever they like up to settling the balance 12 weeks prior to travel.