Greece’s Travel Receipts Reach €20.115 Billion in First 11 Months of 2023
According to the Bank of Greece, travel receipts in Greece reached €20.115 billion between January and November last year. This marks a 15.4 per cent increase compared to 2022 and a ten per cent increase compared to 2019, the pre-pandemic year.
In 2022, travel receipts amounted to nearly €17.7 billion, whereas in 2019 reached about €18.2 billion. The growth in travel receipts was driven by increased receipts from residents of the EU27 by 11 per cent to €10,997.2 million and in receipts from residents outside the EU27 by 18.4 per cent to €8,419.4 million.
Among EU27 countries, Germany topped the list, with receipts reaching €3.51 billion, followed by France with €1.41 billion. Meanwhile, receipts from the United Kingdom reached €3.32 billion, marking a six per cent increase.
However, Greece’s tourism experienced a 22.8 per cent decrease in receipts from Russia, reaching €31.4 million.
In addition to revenues, Greece saw a 17.3 per cent increase in inbound travelers compared to 2022. The number of travelers passing through airports increased by 12.5 per cent, and the traveler traffic at road border-crossing points experienced a growth of 34.5 per cent.
The majority of tourists that visited Greece during the first 11 months of 2023 were from Germany, France, the UK, and the US, with the number of tourists from Russia visiting Greece decreasing by 5.9 per cent.
Greek authorities have reported higher figures throughout 2023, implying the country is returning and even exceeding the pre-pandemic levels. In addition, Athens Airport welcomed over 28 million travelers last year, marking a nearly ten per cent increase compared to 2019 levels.
Greece has recently implemented a climate tax on accommodations based on the rating of the establishments in a bid to raise funds to support reconstruction efforts and enhance climate resilience. This new record in revenue, combined with the steady increase in visitor numbers, is a positive sign for the Greek tourism industry’s recovery.
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