Greece sees 5% drop in tourists
Greece suffered a 5% drop in tourists in the first five months of this year, compared with the same period of 2011.
However, the southern most island of Crete saw a 15% increase in arrivals and Corfu also saw a 5% rise in visitors, while Thessaloniki saw a 7% increase from January to May. Visitor numbers to the islands of Kos and Santorini remained stable.
Putting a brave face on the overall decline, Greek tourism officials described the country’s tourism industry as "resilient".
The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) said: "It is important that we support the growth of one of Greece’s main development axes during this difficult time. It is uplifting to see that tourism has remained resilient during this time with only a small reduction in arrival numbers."
Dr. Andreas Andreadis, president of SETE, said: "Greece remains a very attractive and desirable destination. The arrival figures demonstrate that if we had no political instability, we would be in the position to say that we would be within our initial target of 16 million international arrivals.
"We are confident that the result of the forthcoming elections and the forming of the new government will provide the stability that the tourism sector needs at the moment."
Meanwhile Olympic Holidays, one of the biggest tour operators to Greece, has knocked up to 25% off some peak season holidays. See earlier story
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season