An inflation of at least one million home-visiting Greek immigrants in the total number of annual “foreign tourist arrivals” is clearly indicated by the analysis of data published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) on latest Greek immigration abroad.
The economic crisis has led many Greeks to seek professional opportunities and employment abroad. The number of these Greek “neo-immigrants” exceeded 500.000, according to ELSTAT’s figures during the 2011-2015 period.
Thus, within 5 years, over half a million Greeks changed their country of residence but, naturally did not stop travelling back to Greece in order to visit their birthplace and origins.
According to conservative estimates, these neo-Greek immigrants make at least two trips a year to their homeland.
Number inflation
Through their travelling activity, though, they inflate the number of air arrivals in Greece from their new countries of residence.
They are recorded as “flight arrivals from abroad” but in reality they do not represent tourist arrivals from abroad.
Combined with shadow economy house rentals, these estimates provide us with a very good explanation why the recorded increase in air arrivals to Greece from abroad during 2016 has not been accompanied by a respective boost in hotel revenues.
Therefore, when calculating foreign tourist arrivals, it is advisable to take into account the parameter of these Greek “neo-immigrant” arrivals.
There are those, indeed, who estimate that the number of arrivals of Greeks living abroad during the last 5 years can be as high as 1.5 million annually.
It is noteworthy that during 2015 109,351 Greeks emigrated abroad and that the Bank of Greece includes all “non-resident arrivals” in its data and, therefore, calculates “neo-immigrants” as tourist arrivals
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