“With hard work and in a very difficult year with war in the heart of Europe, energy crisis and inflation, Athens made a dynamic comeback in tourism,” emphasized the Minister of Tourism Vassilis Kikilias, stating that the income from tourism will be above the 18.2 billion garnered in 2019.

Mr. Kikilias spoke with entrepreneurs and food service workers in the historic center of the capital who expressed their satisfaction with the large increase in turnover from the strong tourist traffic and at the same time sent a message of optimism that the season will last until the end of 2022.

“We are in the heart of the commercial life of Athens and the income from tourism supports the workers in tourism, Greek businesses, from cafes, restaurants, mini markets, even bakeries” noted Mr. Kikilias, speaking to Ant -1 television, while underlining that “we have extended the tourist season as it started earlier than ever and we are working so that it ends at the end of the year”.

Increase in AirBnb

In the same context, he said that based on AirDNA’s research, the demand for AirBnb based on the reservations made for the months of July, August and September recorded an increase of 26.5% compared to the corresponding period of 2019, while as he pointed out “we also have about 5 thousand cruise dockings in Greece this year.

Finally, he announced a series of trips starting, before the Thessaloniki International Fair, from Germany and then to Austria, France, Sweden, England with the aim, as he said, “to attract the northern Europeans in order to further extend the season, to generate new income and at the same time for them to spend in our country a Mediterranean, sweet winter, nicer and more economical”.

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