Greece’s Tourist Arrivals Rise Over 12% in Jan-Aug 2018

Santorini island, Cyclades. Photo © Maria Theofanopoulou

Greece’s tourist arrivals increased more than 12 percent during the first eight months of 2018, as the country welcomed 2 million more tourists, compared to the same period in 2017, according to the Secretary General of the Tourism Ministry Evridiki Kourneta.

Secretary General of the Tourism Ministry Evridiki Kourneta. Photo: GTP

Speaking to hoteliers and journalists during the 48^th General Assembly of the Athens – Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association on Thursday, Kourneta said that during the past eight months, Greece managed to increase its share in the international tourism market, and secure its air connectivity with more destinations around the world for a longer period within the year.

“Since 2015, Greek tourism has broken all records in terms of arrivals, revenues, overnight stays, occupancy rates, profits and employment. Furthermore, in 2017 total investment reached 3.1 billion euros, while in the last three years more than 350 investment projects have been submitted for approval for four- and five-star hotels,” she noted.

“We believe that 2018 will be a milestone year for Greek tourism,” Kourneta said, also adding that Athens is expected to be among the leading Greek destinations, having managed to change from a stopover to a popular city break destination.