The figures are encouraging.
Greek tourism targets 35 million arrivals and 20 billion euros in revenues by 2021, according to the country’s Tourism Confederation’s (SETE) president Andreas Andreadis.
This aim can be achieved if annual investment reaches 2 billion euros starting in 2016 with 80 percent participation of the private sector and 20 percent by the government.
Eurobank study forecasts that 2016 will be a positive year for Greek tourism and that the industry will contribute 22.4% of Greece’s GDP by 2026.
2.683 outstanding hotels are set right on the best beaches all over Greece, with the majority located on its islands, hotel search engine Travelmyth shows.
Greece is positioned third worldwide in terms of Blue Flag certification, with 430 beaches and 9 marinas for 2016.
Value for money is evident: Only 14% of Greek hotels have room prices of more than 100 euros in August and only 5% in May, according to the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts (ITEP).
In spite of 7 successive years of unprecedented financial crisis, the refugee crisis, over-taxation, non-performing loans, lack of motivations and the shadow economy.
In spite of “unending perils and sufferings from external oppressors, matched only by their own ceaseless feuds, quarrels and convulsions, of all that the world could do against them, and all Greeks could do against themselves”, as Churchill so insightfully put it.
In spite of everything, Greek tourism remains the best and continues to deserve the best from all of us, all genuine “philhellenes”, fans of Greece, foreign and domestic.
As always, with a smile, the proverbial Greek “kefi” and our eternal, deep, warm-hearted love for this wonderful part of the world.
Let’s go have another great season and may the best memories of it stay always with us!
