According to the latest data from the Bank of Greece, for the period January-April 2023, non-resident traveler arrivals increased by 52.5% and related receipts by 38% compared to the corresponding period in 2022. This continues the upward trend set in 2022 after the effects of the pandemic began to wane.
Earlier, Bank of Greece data showed that more than 26.4 million tourists visited Greece in the first ten months of 2022. Interestingly among major euro area countries of origin, receipts from Germany declined by 7.9% to €369.8 million. Conversely, receipts from France increased by 6.8% to €84.7 million, with UK receipts up by over 30%. U.S. travelers accounted for the biggest increase of €133.7 million, or just over 44% above 2022’s numbers.
Russian receipts plummeted almost 90% because of the friction between that country, the EU, Britain, and the US. Some 2.5 million foreign tourists visited Greece during the first quarter of this year, and air arrivals have almost doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019.
Back in May, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO/ΕΟΤ) released the tourism season 2023 campaign video (below) “Greece. A life-changing experience.” Given the campaign video is UK-centric a bit and the dramatic increase in UK visitors now, it seems the GNTO’s efforts toward the English-speaking market have been successful.
Meanwhile, Greece’s PM previously, Kyriakos Mitsotakis admitted that the country is being subject to notable labor shortages, also taking into account the tourism industry. The government has plans to bring in as many as 80,000 foreign workers from places like Egypt, Bangladesh, Syria, and Pakistan to fill gaps in various employment sectors, including tourism, agriculture, and services.
According to a recent survey by AirDNA, Greece showed the third most significant increase in bookings in Europe for September this year. Officials expect UK visitors to Greece tourism to surpass all previous years by the end of peak season in September.