Athens tourism up 10% for first time in three years

The number of tourists visiting Athens has increased by 10 percent for the first time in three years, the president of the Association of Hellenic Tourism Enterprises (SETE), Andreas Andreadis, told Skai on Wednesday.


Andreadis reported a 14 percent increase to arrivals in Thessaloniki and an average increase of 17 percent across Greece, noting that a significant influx of Russian visitors had boosted tourism figures.

The SETE chief added that the capital could draw even more tourists if it receives a "face lift."

Arrivals at regional airports across the country last month showed a 20.5 percent increase in arrivals of foreign tourists compared to the same month last year, Kathimerini understands.

A total of 800,618 foreign visitors touched down at the airports of Zakynthos, Hania, Iraklio, Corfu and Rhodes last month, compared to 664,372 in the same month last year. There was a 230 percent increase in Russian tourists arriving at those airports.


Source: KATHIMERINI