Tourist arrivals went up 8.6% in the January-September period, Hellenic Statistical Authority announced.

According to the Frontier Statistical Survey conducted by the Bank of Greece, in the period January-September of 2015, arrivals of non-residents from abroad increased by 8.6%, compared with the corresponding period of the year 2014.

More specifically, arrivals from Europe, which accounts for the majority of arrivals of non-residents to Greece (88.4%), recorded an increase of 7.9% in January-September 2015 compared with the corresponding period of 2014, while arrivals from EU Member States recorded an increase of 17.1%.

As regards European countries a significant increase in absolute values, is observed in arrivals from Bulgaria (56.8%), Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) (26.1%), Germany (17.8%), United Kingdom (17.5%), Italy (26.1%) and Poland (27.1%), while a decrease in absolute values, is recorded in arrivals from Russia (-62.1%) and Serbia (-26.5%).

An increase of arrivals was also recorded from the other continents. A significant increase of arrivals, in absolute values, is recorded from America, with a large contribution of arrivals from USA (3.2%) and from Asia, with a large contribution of arrivals from Turkey (4.5%).

The largest contribution regarding the total of arrivals from the European countries, has FYROM (13.2%), Germany (11.6%), United Kingdom (10.3%), Bulgaria (7.8%), France (6.5%) and Italy (6.0%).