Greece: 26 million international arrivals

Against the grim frame of instability and economic crisis, Greece is making an impressive comeback to the international tourism and travel market, experiencing an average 26% increase in the number of foreign visitors in 2015, one of the largest growth rates recorded globally and in particular, in Europe.Athens has also succeeded in making remarkable progress in attaining a higher quality of services and infrastructure especially in terms of urban development, security and sustainable mobility. Thus, our City, thrives again as an attractive leisure tourism, city break and business travel destination. In addition to world class cultural heritage attractions and the longest archaeological promenade in Europe, new high-end convention facilities and hotels, a fascinating entertainment scene and a state-of-the-art transportation network can accommodate the needs of the most demanding of visitors. 

Despite the difficult circumstances that the industry faced during 2015, by the end of the year, Greek tourism will manage to reach the targets for 26 million international arrivals and 14.5 billion euros in direct receipts. These figures highlight the important contribution of tourism to the national economy, employment, local economies and societies and to a wide range of other sectors and professions.

We do believe that this positive course will continue in the years to come. We just have to work collectively with faith and vision in order to put Greek Tourism to the place it deserves. The benefits from such a successful outcome will be visible and measurable for our economy, our society and our private sector.