As the summer season draws to a close, Greek Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis praised the country's performance during the season and pointed out that the country welcomed more than six million tourists this year.
According to Theocharis, in July and August alone, Greece expects to exceed two million visitors, something that has not happened since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In fact, in July, for the first time, our country overtook France as a favorite destination for the French. That is, the French traveled more to Greece than to their own country. This is a very important evolution ", a said Theocharis.
He also mentioned that more than 450 French tourists visited the Greek islands this summer, which is a significant number given the pandemic situation.
Speaking about domestic tourism, Theocharis also pointed out that there has been an increase amid the economic crisis that Greece is going through.
The "Tourism for All" and "Social Tourism" programs have helped to develop domestic tourism. We aim to expand these programs as much as possible. We will keep them alive for years to come because we have seen that they have had a substantial result. " , said Theocaris, talking about the tourism program, which will be valid until December 31.
The program was announced in June, and its purpose was to allocate a fund of 30 million euros for 250 Greeks to enjoy holidays on the islands.- Advertising -
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Greece has vaccinated 65,8% of its population with the first dose of COVID vaccine, while 63,4% of the population has been completely immunized against the virus.
Regarding the issue of vaccination, Thocharis said that those who do not want to be vaccinated must undergo other requirements, such as frequent testing, wearing masks and compliance with other hygiene measures.
"Vaccination is the only way to freedom not for others, but for ourselves and the family, for the people we love. We have to protect them ", a said Theocaris.
Recently, the Financial Times reported that Greece was the champion of recovery in tourism, as the country received the most tourists in Europe, about 25% more than Spain.
At the same time, according to the Greek Aviation Authority, air traffic in the first half of this year increased by 146,8% compared to 2020. However, compared to pre-pandemic levels, the decrease was 63,5%.