Foreign tourists come and spend

of Vicky Kourlibini

Tourism revenues exceeded expectations in April, confirming the estimates of local entrepreneurs for a strong season this year and forecasts for the return of the industry, which is considered the locomotive of the Greek economy, to pre-Covid levels.

It is not only the number of arrivals that fills the tourist basket. It is very important, as businessmen say, that more money is spent by foreign tourists.

According to the Bank of GreeceTravel receipts increased by 1,000% in April and by 577% in January-April compared to the corresponding periods of 2021, while incoming travel traffic increased by 884% in April 2022 and by 463% in January; April 2022 in relation to the corresponding periods of 2021.

As for April, the increase in travel receipts is due to the increase in incoming travel traffic, but also the average expenditure per trip by 7.7%.

Revenue so far

In the four months they reached 1.11 billion euros, from 1.29 billion in the four months of 2019, 607 million in 2020 and 165 million in 2021. In April this year revenues are 647 million, from 543 million in 2019. 13, 8 million in 2020 and 58.8 million in 2021.

The average expenditure in the four months is 510 million from 424 million in 2019, 324 million in 2020 and 436 million in 2021. In April it climbed to 590 million, from 512 million in 2019.

In the four months, receipts from Germany increased by 533.7% to 177.7 million euros, while receipts from France increased by 1,113.4% to 99.0 million euros.

Receipts from the United Kingdom increased by 1,229.8% to 128 million euros. Receipts from the US increased by 2,098.1% to 67.4 million euros, while those from Russia increased by 503.0% to 7.8 million euros.

How many came

Incoming travel traffic in April amounted to 1,056 million travelers, an increase of 884.3% compared to the corresponding month of 2021. In particular, travel traffic through airports increased by 1,494.3% compared to April 2021 and this through road border stations by 427.5%.

In the period January-April, the incoming travel traffic increased by 462.7% and amounted to 2,128 million travelers, compared to 378.3 thousand travelers in the corresponding period of 2021.

Top accommodation and catering

The upward trend of tourism can be seen from the turnover in two more critical sectors, the accommodation and catering sector. In particular, the turnover in the accommodation and catering sectors increased by 272.6% in April, on an annual basis.

Specifically, in the accommodation sector the turnover amounted to almost 222 million euros, recording an increase of 518.7% compared to the same period last year, while in the restaurant it moved to approximately 150 million euros, increased by 134.2%.

Analytically, as announced by ELSTATfor companies in the Accommodation sector with the obligation to keep bibliographic books, for which data are available on a monthly basis, the turnover in April 2022 amounted to 222 million euros, recording an increase of 518.7% compared to April 2021, where had amounted to 35.8 million euros.

For companies in the Catering Services sector, the turnover in April 2022 amounted to 149 million euros, an increase of 134.2% compared to April 2021, where it had reached 63 million.