The Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises
(SETE), estimates that tourism revenues might
amount to 14.5 billion euros in 2017, following a
6.4% fall to 13.2 billion euros in 2016. Moreover,
international arrivals may increase to 27 million
this year, from 25 million in 2016. The data to date
shows an increase in tourist demand from
Russia, while there is also a rise in bookings from
Germany and the UK, two of Greece’s main mar-
kets.
On the other hand, though, cruise arrivals are
expected to decrease –from 2.5 million last year–
owing to the political instability in the region,
especially in Turkey. Meanwhile, SETE has pre-
A
dditional airline bookings to Greece are
already estimated at 1.5 million, 500,000
of which have Athens as a destination.
These estimates do not include data on road
arrivals for 2017. More than that: This season,
Greece becomes a value-for-money destination
in the international tourist arena, capitalising on
the fact that Spain has raised its prices and
exhausted its capacity, as well as the fact that it is
a safe and secure destination, while Turkey and
Egypt have not recovered. As a result, Greece is
already attracting bookings, which means that the
Greek tourism product will generate more rev-
enues than last year.
Trade with Greece
112
The Acropolis of Athens, Sounion,
the beaches of Chalkidiki, the
Nisyros Volcano (yes, Greece has
two “accessible” volcanoes
!
), the
Acheron River, Delphi, and the
Samaria Gorge: these are only a
few of the places someone must
visit at least once in their life. And this
is well understood by quite a few
foreign tourists, who have rushed to
book holiday packages in the most
beautiful “plot of land” in the world,
and dive in the most beautiful seas
around the globe.
By Alexandra Gitsi
Live your myth in Greece
Why you should visit the cradle of
civilisation at least once in your life
