Russian tourists to Greece increased by 16.5% in the first half of 2017, according to official data by the Russian Statistical Services (Rosstat). The data, analysed by Russian Tour Operators (ATOR), showed that the total number of Russians that travelled abroad amounted to 17.12 million, compared to 13.28 million last year. The percentage of Russian arrivals in Greece doubled in the first 6-months of 2017 with 303,000 Russians choosing Greece as their holiday destination. Italy recorded a 32.6% rise, while 20.5% more Russians visited Spain. In terms of the destinations with the largest rise, Turkey saw a near 9-times rise followed by the Dominican Republic which saw a 3,2 times rise in Russian tourists.