Autumn Tourism to Greece on Upward Trend, Says Minister

Tourists at the Acropolis, Athens, during November. Photo source: Greek Tourism Ministry

The Greek Tourism Ministry’s priority to extend the season is paying off with fall arrivals remaining strong, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Sunday.

In an interview to ANT1 TV, Kikilias said arrival and revenue figures were “excellent”, adding that spending per visitor in September had increased by 11 percent over pre-pandemic 2019 while arrivals through the country’s regional airports were up by 14 percent on 2019.

October data, he said, was just as positive with Aktio airport marking a 76 percent rise over 2019 and international arrivals going strong into November.

Kikilias also referred to actions being taken to boost domestic tourism. In this direction, he said, the ministry would be releasing an additional 10,000 cards under its next “Tourism for All” program which subsidizes holidays for low-income families. Kikilias added that the program aims also to stimulate domestic tourism activity in the winter and support remote destinations.

Kastoria, Greece.

Other actions in this direction, said Kikilias, include ministry efforts to attract senior travelers and pensioners from Northern European countries to come spend the winter in Greece where the weather is mild.

Earlier this year, Kikilias toured Northern European countries presenting the advantages of spending winter in Greece. He visited Berlin, Vienna, Paris and Stockholm.