Miracle In Athens As Greek Tourism Numbers Keep Growing

For an economy stuck in depression-era recession, dependent on emergency bails, and seemingly locked in a perpetual fiscal vice, tourism is vital. A record 23.5 million holidaymakers visited Greece in 2015 – generating €14.2bn in direct receipts, or 24% of gross domestic product.

“It’s a miracle, what’s been happening in Athens,” Greece’s tourism chief, Andreas Andreadis, told the Observer. “The tourist industry in Greece grew two to three times faster than in Spain, Portugal, Italy or France last year. This year we expect around 4.5 million visitors in Athens alone.”

It’s been a busy winter in downtown Athens, where scaffolding, tarpaulins and dust have been symbols of hope: a mini construction boom heralding a tourist renaissance. Nine hotels are being built or restored around the city centre.

This year, the Greek Tourism Confederation is predicting the number of visitors could reach 25 million and 27.5 million if you count the cruise ship passengers. Economic recovery depends on the tourism sector to a great degree.

Much of the upsurge is linked to Greece’s safety record. Tourists are staying away from resort in Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and elsewhere in the wake of high-profile attacks.

Tourism provides one in five jobs in Greece, at a time when unemployment in the nation has hovered stubbornly around 25%. Youth unemployment stands at an astonishing 67%.

“It’s going to be a challenge but our hope is that we will see an improvement on record numbers again,” said Yiannis Retsos, president of the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers. “Tourism is all about positive psychology and Greece is a safe place in the south-east Mediterranean region.”

To read this article in full, please visit: The Guardian