Arrivals to Greece Rise 6.7% in First Half

International arrivals at Greece’s main airports increased by 6.7 percent during the first six months of the year, according to data released on Thursday by the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE).

Athens welcomed the most arrivals from abroad during the January-June period.

According to the data, the airports of Athens, Mykonos and Santorini greatly contributed to Greece’s tourist arrivals in June with increases of 25 percent, 10.9 percent and 20 percent respectively, compared to the same period last year. Thessaloniki showed a marginally positive sign, while arrivals slumped in the Dodecanese and Crete.

Decline in last minute bookings to Greece stabilizes

Last minute bookings for the coming months initially recorded a sharp decline of 30 to 40 percent after the government imposed capital controls on the Greek banks.

However, according to the confederation, these days the drop has stabilized to around 20 percent.

SETE stressed that if the decline in last minute bookings does not reverse, then the arrivals of the following quarter will be adversely affected.

In an announcement, the confederation applauded the effort of all tourism employees and professionals, tour operators, airline companies, shop owners and the Greek society in general for making certain that the hundreds of thousands of visitors currently in Greece will have high quality holidays.

“This is the best promotion and guarantee for the future of Greek tourism.”

SETE underlined that once Greece signs an agreement with its creditors, “Greek tourism will turn the tide,  cover lost ground and resolutely support employment and the country’s economy”.