V. Kikilias: Record revenues from tourism will strengthen the average Greek family

Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias referred to the results of the strategy drawn up last fall with the main objectives of extending the tourist season and highlighting new travel destinations, in an interview he gave to the newspaper “Eleftheros Typos tis Kyriaki”.

As Mr. Kikilias pointed out, this year the tourist season started in March and it seems that it will end at the beginning of winter, as big tour operators are already asking for offers for travel packages in November, even in December.

With reference to travel flows and tourism revenues, the Minister of Tourism pointed out that the efforts made to “open” large foreign markets and to attract high spenders travelers are bearing fruit, as evidenced by the data from spring to and today. More specifically, he referred to the latest data from Athens International Airport, according to which passenger traffic for the month of June increased compared to 2019 by 50% among tourists from the USA, 32% from Austria, 24% from Israel, 12% from Canada, 8% from France and 1% from the United Kingdom. The arrivals of travelers from the Netherlands are the same as in 2019, while almost at the same levels (at 99%, 95% and 93% of 2019) are the arrivals of travelers from Belgium, Switzerland and Italy, respectively.

Cruising also has a decisive role in the recovery and further development of tourism, which, as the minister said, reached 10 months this year, with the result that cruise ship arrivals at the country’s ports are estimated to be increased by 25% compared to 2019. At the same time, a plan is being developed to extend the cruise even further and cover all 12 months of the year.

Vassilis Kikilias also underlined the high traffic that less popular destinations have this year and the Ministry of Tourism strategically chose to “lighten up” as they are not lagging behind other regions with a strong brand.

“Our country has so many places of incomparable natural beauty, with high-level gastronomy but also potential for the development of many types of alternative tourism, that it is a shame that they are not known to foreigners as well as to Greek travelers,” said the minister, indicatively mentioning areas he visited recently, such as Kastoria, which with its emblematic lake will become a point of reference and its main source of income will be tourism, Lemnos where a sports hotel was inaugurated that will operate all 12 months of the year hosting Olympic-level athletes and teams, Aegina which started to have visitors from February and the occupancy of its accommodation exceeds 90%, just like Nafpaktos which is also placed on the map of tourist development.

“I am very happy to see up close that we are succeeding, to meet people who tell me that tourism this year has significantly increased their income. Because our goal, the goal of the government and Prime Minister K. Mitsotakis is exactly this: with the development of tourism in as many areas of our country as possible, to strengthen the average Greek family. The hoteliers, the traders, the shopkeepers, the primary sector,” said Mr. Kikilias.