In just six years, tourism arrivals in Athens have more than doubled, as the capital is emerging as a major travel destination in its own right, with an exceptional record in visitor satisfaction, according to the 15th survey on Attica hotel guests conducted by the Athens-Attica and Argosaronic Hoteliers Association and GBR Consulting, according to ekathimerini.com.
In the period from 2012 to 2018, Athens International Airport recorded a rise in annual visitors from abroad from 2.5 million to 5.7 million, while data for this year up until September showed a further annual increase of 12 percent. Most of this demand (87 percent) concerned recreation visitors, of whom 31 percent headed to other destinations within Greece.
The survey also highlighted the problems that tourists come up against, such as the lack of cleanliness in public spaces and air pollution, while a high number of Attica visitors, nearly 1 million people per year, do not stay at hotels but at short-term rental accommodation.
Hotel occupancy rates fell 2.4 percent in September 2019 from a year earlier, while hotel room rates increased 1.2 percent, bringing the average revenue per room down by 1.3 percent year-on-year.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Athens Walking Tours
