Greek tourism industry hits record highs in 2024

ATHENS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Greece's tourism industry reached historic highs in tourist arrivals and revenues in 2024, officials with the tourism ministry said on Wednesday.

The country welcomed 35.9 million visitors last year, generating 21.7 billion euros (22.8 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, Vasiliki Koutsoukou, secretary general of Tourism Policy and Development, announced at a press conference in Athens.

The announcement came ahead of a tourism exhibition set to take place in the Greek capital in March.

In 2023, previously a record-breaking year for Greek tourism, about 32.7 million travelers visited the country, contributing 20.6 billion euros in revenue, according to data from the Bank of Greece.

Despite global challenges, Greece's tourism sector has shown resilience, maintaining its growth trajectory in the post-pandemic era, officials noted.

To sustain this momentum, Greece is implementing a strategy focused on high-quality, sustainable tourism development, Koutsoukou said.

Tourism, a key pillar of Greece's economy for decades, accounts for approximately 13 percent of the country's GDP. (1 euro = 1.05 U.S. dollar)