According to Greece’s Tourism MInister Vassilis Kikilias, arrivals in Greece for September soared to meet the record levels of 2019, far surpassing the goal the New Democracy government was hoping for. According to the minister, some 8.6 million tourists arrived in Greece between January and August of 2021.
Meanwhile, the COVID pandemic continues to put a damper on Greece tourist and local activities. Greek officials confirmed 2,727 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, with 6 of these identified at entry points to the country. The National Public Health Organization (EODY) also reported on Sunday, 44 fatalities over the same period, bringing the total of pandemic victims to 15,938.
In other pandemic news, Greek State Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said the the only way Greece will be free from the pandemic is the vaccine. Gerapetritis told Real News on Sunday that the government is addressing the new surge of the pandemic “with weapons the strengthening of the health system, the further increase of the available ICU beds along with the integration of private clinics and doctors and the use of tests.”
GTP reports that Greece is among the Top 5 destinations of choice for Europeans hoping to take a holiday by March, according to the latest survey released on Thursday by the European Travel Commission (ETC). An ETC survey conducted in September, “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 9”, showed that a total of 6.8 percent of Europeans polled said they wanted to take a trip to Greece by the end of March.
Finally, Destination Wedding Planners (DWP) listed five reasons for couples to pick Greece as the ideal destination for getting hitched. According to DWP, Greece is ideally located, and it offers the best of many worlds both classical and exotic. Again, GTP reports:
“Greece is making destination wedding dreams come true for couples from around the world with its stunning views for perfect backdrops, gorgeous venues, planner and designer extraordinaire, and amazing creative suppliers… Its spot on the map makes it the ideal place to gather guests from all over the world.”