The Greek fur industry is beginning to recover partially, following the remarkable success of the 50th anniversary Kastoria International Fur Fair held from April 9-11, 2025. The event provided a much-needed liquidity boost to businesses in the sector.
While the sales losses over the past three years due to the Russian-Ukrainian war cannot be fully compensated by just three days of the Fair, it nonetheless brought optimism back to furriers. According to Apostolos (Akis) Tsoukas, president of the Kastoria Furriers Association “Prophet Elias” and the Greek Fur Federation, the Fair was a significant first step toward recovery.
Tsoukas noted that the event went exceptionally well. “If Russia had participated, we would be discussing the best Fair ever,” he said. Fortunately, the privately owned Kastoria Fur Exhibition Center has allowed the Kastoria International Fur Fair to stand out globally, maintaining its presence during the pandemic and the war while other international fairs, typically held in rented venues, have faced substantial setbacks. Just recently, the Hong Kong Fur Federation expressed interest in participating in the 2026 Kastoria International Fur Fair.
Exploring New Markets and Boosting Domestic Sales
Meanwhile, the successful collaboration between the Kastoria Fur Manufacturers Association and Enterprise Greece led to numerous trade visitors from Japan and Romania attending the Fair. According to Konstantinos Dikaros, the trade attaché at the Greek IED office in Bucharest, Romania boasts a sizable and decentralized market, with annual exports of Greek fur reaching approximately 2.0-2.5 million euros. The visiting trade representatives primarily made test purchases totaling around 84,000 euros and anticipate further purchases of about 700,000 euros over the next year based on current demand and expected sales.
The resurgence of vintage clothing featuring natural fur is also instilling confidence among furriers. Tsoukas reports a notable increase in domestic fur sales this winter, particularly in Athens.
