The first quarter of the year closed for Greek tourism with strong growth rates in terms of arrivals and revenues, demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of severe geopolitical turmoil.
These performances take on particular significance considering that key markets for the domestic tourism product, such as the wider Middle East and Israel, were essentially out of the picture. Especially in March, air connectivity with these regions was almost zero, due to the broader military conflicts of the US and Israel against Iran.
At the same time, the overall figures for March were not favored by the traditional boost usually given by the western Easter holiday, as this year it was celebrated on April 5, shifting the demand. The preliminary figures from the Bank of Greece were also interpreted as a strong indication of a sustainable expansion of the tourist season.
Data shows that inbound travel traffic recorded a strong jump. In the January-March period, travelers visiting the country increased by 38.3%, surpassing the 3-million barrier to reach 3.4 million.
This overall increase was fueled by both travel traffic through airports, which increased by 18.8%, and through road border stations, which recorded an increase of 84.3%.
