Greece Tourist Arrivals Up in January-June 2017

Tourist arrivals to Greece showed encouraging signs in June, giving positive data for the first half of 2017, according to the monthly statistical bulletin of SETE Intelligence (InSETE).

Air arrivals

According to available data from the country’s major airports, the rise in international airport arrivals to Greece continued into June 2017. More specifically, arrivals increased last month by 10.9 percent to 272,000, compared to June 2016. The increase of arrivals at Greece’s regional airports — 14 of which are now managed by Fraport Greece — amounted to 13.4 percent in June.

During the January-June period, arrivals to Greece by air increased by a total of 10.5 percent.

Road arrivals

Road arrivals to Greece last month were up by 13.5 percent, nearly 158,000 more than in June 2016, according to data compiled from Greece’s border checkpoints. The largest increase in road arrivals of foreigners in June were from Turkey (+55 percent) and Bulgaria (+46.2 percent).

For the first six months of 2017, road arrivals to Greece recorded a 6.1 percent rise. For the period January-June 2017, the largest increase in road arrivals to Greece was seen from Bulgaria (up by 34.1 percent or by 362,000 arrivals), followed by Turkey (+22.0 percent or 63,000 arrivals) and FYROM (+2.2 percent or 37,000 arrivals). During the first six months of the year, a significant decline in road arrivals was seen from Albania (down by 17.8 percent or 144,000 arrivals).

Sea arrivals

A total increase of 9.3 percent was seen in ferry passenger traffic in June, compared to the same month last year, the data provided by SETE Intelligence showed. According to the data, the Dodecanese saw the bibbest arrivals increase (+38 percent). Ferry passenger traffic to the Cyclades was up by 8.9 percent and to the North Aegean up by 2.6 percent. Sea arrivals to Crete were up by 7.4 percent.

In the January-June period, sea arrivals to Greece were up by a total of 2.4 percent.

SETE Intelligence (InSETE) is the research department of the Greek Tourism Confederation.