The first eleven months of this year over 10 million international visitors arrived in Greece. Following along the same trend as 2009, this year reveals only a moderate recovery where arrivals are concerned. Statistics from 13 Greek airports, which reveal 95 percent of flights and over 70 percent of all arrivals, shows arrivals decreased by one half of one percent over last year’s totals.
Arriving in Athens - courtesy Christopher Rose
More specifically, at Athens International Airport (image above) “Eleftherios Venizelos” 2,883,696 tourists arrived, in Thessaloniki’s “Makedonia” Airport 1,082,681, in Rhodes 1,421,025, in Kos 696,604, at Corfu 729,515, Iraklio 1,923,238, in Chania 593,348, in Zakynthos 419,927, Kefalonia 148,811, in Samos 108,883, at Skiathos 107,174, Aktio 142,953 and in Santorini 181,276 people visited those airports respectively.
Thessaloniki - taken by the author
Although the number of arrivals this year is not expected to change, some decrease in revenues will be ascended at 7% according to the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In his interview with the Athens and Macedonian Press Agency the president of Athens-Attica Hotel Association Mr. Giannis Retsos confirmed that despite the attractive and economical packages the reservations this year are disturbingly low.
Athens as seen by the author
These numbers come after the news of Greece’s outreach to Russia and markets to ramp up Greek tourism. According to some reports on this year’s visits Russian tourist arrivals are up over 150 percent. Offset by disturbances such as the Iceland volcanic situation, and difficulties for North American air travelers, not to mention Greece’s economic woes, surely affected any positive gains. At least this makes sense.
