Greece is a fascinating nation renowned for its stunning natural surroundings and intriguing culture.
The country is known for its stunning weather, numerous islands, long sandy beaches, and hilly terrain.
A lot of people enjoy coming to Greece to learn more about its rich history while taking in the sights.
Greece has recently developed into a popular tourist destination for many people.
It is drawing millions of summer vacationers there each year.
If you are interested in going to Greece, you may wish to know more about the latest trends and tourism statistics in Greece.
Read on to learn about Greece’s tourism statistics and trends to be aware of.
Essential Greece Tourism Statistics
Tourism started to flourish during the late 1960s and 1970s. Since then, it has become a really popular tourist destination.
Below are the essential Greece tourism statistics you need to be aware of:
- Usually, the tourism season typically begins between May to September. Since these are the months that people come to Greece.
- In 2022, Greece was recorded as the 6th most popular tourist destination.
- At the World Travel Awards in 2022, Athens was seen as Europe's leading sustainable tourist destination.
- During the first quarter of 2023, Greece has already received around 2.5 tourists. Air arrivals have pretty much doubled when compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
According to Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, Greece had planned to start receiving international visitors early in 2023.
This is because the tourism season is anticipated to formally begin in March, just like it did in 2022. This is significantly earlier than in prior years.
The goal for Greek tourism in 2023, according to the minister, is to build on the solid momentum it established in 2022.
Where industry sales are anticipated to have topped 18 billion euros.
The Tourism Ministry is going to keep operating within this framework to draw tourists throughout the entire year.
The Effect Tourism Has On Greece’s Economy
The tourism industry is huge for Greece since it is seen as one of the main pillars of its economy.
- In 2022, the Greek economy grew by 5.9%. This was due to vast investments and the reemergence of tourism throughout the summer.
- The revenues from tourism reached around 18 billion euros. However, this year, the GDP is predicted to grow by just 2.4%.
- Tourist revenue is slowly climbing and in 2022, it was estimated to reach around 20 billion euros. This was an increase from the previous years.
- While tourism brings a lot of money into Greece, it also creates a lot of jobs as well boosting employment figures for the country as well.
- Between 2014 and 2019, employment in the tourism industry grew slowly but steadily. In 2021 there were nearly 782 thousand jobs that were created solely from tourism and travel.
- The Hellenic Republic is aiming to provide around 80,000 foreign workers to the country. All of these workers would be working in the tourism industry within Greece.
- In December 2022, a survey revealed that Greece was the 5th most ranked place that European travellers wished to visit.
- There were around 30 million inbound tourists to Greece in 2022. This was double the previous years. Hence, as long as this pattern stays the same, this number could increase even more in 2023.
Greece Tourism Insights
A lot of people enjoy coming to Greece for various reasons. The Greek islands and mainland are considered popular holiday destinations for people in Europe.
Yet, you won't just find Europeans in Greece. This is a popular holiday destination for people all over the world.
- Greece welcomes more than 30 million tourists annually, second only to nations like the USA, Spain, China, France, and Great Britain, as reported by the Bank Of Greece.
- While fewer visitors travel from other continents, the majority of visitors to Greece are from Europe, particularly the EU member states, and the USA.
- Greece is rated as the best vacation destination ever by the Chinese and the Austrians, according to studies.
- Greece also has the biggest coastline among the Mediterranean nations. Thousands of visitors visit its numerous beach resorts on islands like Santorini and Mykonos every year.
- Greece is full of beautiful beaches and is rich in history. Therefore, most of the travellers to Greece are holiday-makers. Instead of those that are travelling for business reasons.There are around 46 airports in Greece. A large proportion of these airports are managed by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. They have 15 international airports, which is much more than a lot of other countries.
- The tourist minister of Greece, Minister Kikilias, has stressed the importance of tourism in Greece over the past couple of years. In 2022, the Greek economy was given funding that was channelled into tourism, agro-tourism, and health.
Greek Tourism Trends And Facts
Greece is a hotspot for tourists. Certain areas are visited by more visitors each year than others for various reasons.
Below are some of the most popular tourist trends and facts that you may have not heard.
- The tourist season in Greece has slowly started to change. The most popular time to visit Greece is during the spring or summer due to the pleasant weather. Most people will often fly to Greece between May to September. However, slowly, Greece has been trying to become a more year-round holiday destination.
- In Greece, there are around 18 UNESCO heritage sites that you can visit. This includes well-known sites such as the old town of Corfu, the Acropolis of Athens, Meteora, and the Temple of Apollo, among other great places. If you love your history, then it can't be a surprise why history lovers commonly come back here.
- In ancient Greek mythology, it says the goddess Athena, would give people olive trees. Today, Greece produces around 2.2 million tons of olives from 120 million olive trees each year. They are the third-biggest producer of olives in the world.
- If you do happen to be travelling to Greece anytime soon, then you need to ensure that you are wearing the proper footwear. It is known to be illegal to wear high heels when you are walking around any ancient sites. This is because the heels could damage the flooring.
- Mykonos is a really popular holiday destination due to the lovely weather. However, after October, the weather isn’t as pleasant and can turn quite cold. You could still visit Mykonos during the colder periods. However, fewer tourist sites will be open, and you won’t be able to sunbathe.
- Dancing is a huge tradition that is often seen around Greece. It is believed that there are around 4,000 traditional dances. The function of these dances is to bring the community together. Yet, certain dances are performed at births, holidays, weddings, festivals, and baptisms. One of the most popular Greek dances is the Sirtaki. This is the dance that most people may have come across. It isn’t a very old dance as it began in the 1906s.
- Greece is a very religious country. As a result, they take their holidays seriously. In particular, Greece takes Easter seriously. Greeks will spend the following week coming together as they worship the life of Christ.
- If you do come across any locals while you are in Greece you must greet them properly. For a lot of locals, they will find it rude if you wave at them with your fingers stretched out. Therefore, if you do wish to wave, you must ensure that your fingers are kept together.
Conclusion
Greece is a beautiful place to go and has become a really popular tourist destination over the past couple of years.
Tourism has taken off in Greece, as it has reached one of the top 5 places that Europeans wish to travel to.
Furthermore, due to the rich history of the country, and the delightful weather, it is seen as really attractive. This is because there is so much to see and do.
Overall, tourism is crucial for the Greek economy as it has become one of the pillars that the economy relies on every year.
We hope this article has been sinful and given you a better understanding of Greece's tourism statistics and trends that can be seen right now.
References
- https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/greece-is-among-top-best-travel-destinations-in-the-world/
- https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/greece-honoured-with-17-awards-at-world-travel-awards/
- https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/greece-welcomed-2-5-million-tourists-in-q1-of-this-year/#:~:text=A%20total%20of%202.5%20million,pandemic%20levels%20recorded%20in%202019.
- https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/economic-surveillance-eu-economies/greece/economic-forecast-greece_en
- https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2022/08/27/greece-tourism-is-breaking-records-at-the-expense-of-locals_5994909_19.html
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/644585/travel-and-tourism-employment-contribution-greece/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/444847/total-number-of-inbound-visitors-in-greece/
- https://news.gtp.gr/2023/02/23/nearly-30-million-people-chose-holiday-greece-2022/#:~:text=Almost%2030%20million%20people%20chose,Bank%20of%20Greece%20(BoG).
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gr
- https://theculturetrip.com/europe/greece/articles/7-traditional-greek-dances-you-should-know-about/
