Slight Recovery Expected For Greek Tourism In 2011

Foreign arrivals at 13 of Greece’s main airports increased by 0.85 percent year-on-year in September while the number of foreign visitors in Greece dropped 0.57 percent during the first nine months of the year, according to Civil Aviation Authority data released last month.

In absolute figures, tourist arrivals from foreign markets at main Greek airports during the January-September period fell to some 9.47 million arrivals compared to some 9.52 million in 2009.

The president of the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers, Andreas Andreadis, told Reuters news agency that Greek tourism revenues are estimated to fall seven to eight percent in 2010, on the milder side of expectations, while early bookings were showing signs of a recovery next year.

According to the federation’s president, strikes and protests in Greece kept many tourists away from its beaches and antiquities this year.

“In the end, this year was better than expected and a total disaster was avoided,” he told Reuters.

“Of course, Greek tourism has lost 20 percent in terms of revenue in two years, which is obviously a severe blow,” he said.