A total of 28 million arrivals to Greece, including cruises, that will bring approximately 14,2 to 14,5bn Euros is the estimate of the Greek Tourism Confederation (GTC) in the International Tourism Exhibition in Berlin.
“By taking into account the data from the ITB report, the programmed extra 1,5 million seats in 2017 (500.000 in Athens – 1 million in the rest of the destinations) from new as well as traditional markets, the fully booked flights that will increase this year, the GTC estimates for 2017 that the international arrivals may reach 26 million from 24,8 in 2016. If we include the cruises, where a 20% fall in expected compared to last year, the total arrivals for 2017 are expected to be around 28 million, provided that the arrivals by car will remain stable”, Mr. Andreas Andeadis stated.
“Also, if the average tourist expenditure recovers to the 2015 levels, we estimate that the total income can exceed the levels of that year. Which mean that they will move between 14,2 and 14,5bn Euros. If these targets are achieved, tourism can contribute even stronger to the Greek economy and give -at least for this year- one extra percentage to the country’s GDP”.
The GTC considers a necessary prerequisite for all of the above, in light of the beginning of the tourist period, the fast conclusion of the Greek program’s evaluation. In parallel, if the over-taxation is not reduced, if the VAT does not return to a level closer to that of the competition and if ideas about new taxes don’t stop immediately, it is certain that on the long run a “toxic” environment will be established for all of the tourist entrepreneurship and for the growth potential of the sector and therefore for all of the Greek economy. “The ‘second gear’ of the Greek tourism, that of the lesser known destinations with the shrinked tourist period and the thousands of small businesses, will be particularly burdened. This reality will be even worse when the international conjuncture in our wider neighborhood that favor the dynamics of the Greek tourism, cease to exist.
Our country has all that it takes to become a world power in the provision of quality services. We are committed for one more year and through bad conditions, that with our vision and hard work, all of the tourist sector will secure what all Greeks have struggled to achieve these last years through our tourism”.