Tourism in Greece
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AFGHANISTAN, 2017/09/09
Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the initial six months of 2017, some 36 million additional than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, increase was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010.
Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong request for international travel in the initial half of 2017, according to the new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher increase since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.
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BULGARIA, 2017/03/05
The European Parliament voted on 2nd March 2017 to require the European Commission to suspend visa exemption status for US citizens.
In ETOA's view this is extremely unlikely to happen: the Council of the EU will object and the status quo will prevail.
The situation arises because, since 2014, citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania have needed a visa to visit the US. This means that there is not full reciprocity in treatment of EU and US citizens.
EU legislation provides for a 'delegated act' allowing the Commission to suspend exemption from visa requirements in the event of 'non-reciprocity.' This would apply to citizens of nations that impose visa requirement on EU citizens.
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GREECE, 2016/07/11
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has pointed to a boost in the Greek tourism sector as international arrivals to Greece increased by seven % in 2015, reaching 23.6 million visitors. This comes as timely news for Greece ahead of the implementation of its tourism policy framework, launched last year in an effort to enhance international tourism.
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GREECE, 2014/02/21
The initial licences for the operation of water airports in Greece will be issued on Friday, Deputy Transport, Infrastructure and Networks Minister Michalis Papadopoulos said at an Economist conference in Thessaloniki, which is being held under the auspices of the Greek presidency of the EU.
According to AMNA, Papadopoulos said that the completion of the legislative framework opens the way for the issuance of permits, while the initial flights are expected to start in early summer, improving coastal areas connectivity and acting as a increase engine for the islands, with knock-on benefits for the Greek economy.
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GREECE, 2014/02/17
18 million tourists are expected to visit Greece during 2014; a number twice as large as Greece’s people. However, a few decades before, back in the 1950s, the number of tourists that visited Greece hardly reached 33,000.
Of course, the situation in Greece at that time was totally different; the country was trying to heal its wounds caused by the Civil War and the World War while the Greeks were seeking better days.
Even if the tourism enterprises in Greece were not familiar with the “management and promotion of tourism” at the time, the tourism industry was a fundamental phenomenon both financially and socially.
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GREECE, 2013/12/20
Greece and Turkey, once rivalling nations across the Aegean Sea, have presently been building much closer trade, economic and tourism, even developing new products that would be exported to 3rd nations
The majority common words in Turkish-Greek affairs like “dogfight, Aegean tensions, rift, crisis, territorial waters and airspace” have lately been restored with less hostile words: trade, tourism, investment , euros and dollars.
Few Turks would know that Greek foreign direct investment in Turkey, despite a most punishing economic crisis that hit the Hellenic lands, has reached $6.5 billion. Fewer may have noticed about 500 Greek companies operate on Turkish soil, mainly in banking, food and beverages, energy, construction and building materials.
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GREECE, 2013/11/21
Greece received a welcome boost to its beleaguered economy this October as the country welcomed additional autumn tourists than ever before.
Marketing Greece, the newly formed organisation that represents the private sector of the Greek tourism industry, has released figures showing a jump in international visitors, meaning the country experienced its best October of all time.
According to the figures, international arrivals to the country’s airports in October 2013 jumped 21.52 % compared to last year, from 697,000 to 847,000
Greece had been experiencing a rapid decline in visitors compared to its heyday in 2008 at the same time as 17 million people visited its shores.
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GREECE, 2013/09/04
Turnover during the summer sales in Greece was once again lower this year, although the rate of decline was smaller than before, while tourism hotspots actually reported an increase in sales this year as daily Kathimerini reports.
The sales window that closed last Saturday showed an average drop in turnover of 25% year-on-year, against 29% the year before, according to data compiled by the Commerce and Services Institute of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE).
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GERMANY, 2013/08/25
According to Bank of Greece data, Russian visitors accounted for the biggest rise in tourism for Greece. They spent almost 341 million euros, which was up 42 % on the same period last year.
Revenues from tourism in Greece reached 3.3 billion euros in the initial half of this year, up by 17.8 % on 2012.
The next biggest increase was part French tourists (30.7 %), followed by visitors from the US (25.4 %) and Germany (17.8 %).
The Germans were the biggest spenders with a total of 541 million euros.
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GREECE, 2013/08/11
Tourism professionals are looking forward to a significant increase in arrivals and in revenues over the next few months, while predicting an additional record year in 2014 if conditions in Greece remain stable.
Tourism traffic is peaking this month, following a significant, double-digit increase in June and July that has dwarfed the gains of rival destinations such as Turkey, Spain and Cyprus. The maintenance of a stable political climate and reduced rates offered late last year by hoteliers to foreign tour operators led to the creation of a favorable climate for Greece this year. Tourism Ministry initiatives such as hosting foreign press representatives and forming joint programs with tour operators have as well played their part.
