According to Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyianni, this year is expected to be better than last in terms of both the number of visitors and revenues, while she assured that Greece is an “open and safe place” and Greeks are “extremely hospitable.”
“The tourism industry accounts for about one-fifth of our economy, with one million employees. For this year, the numbers are very encouraging, ” she said in an interview in NWZ, highlighting that the tourism sector in Greece is coming back.
She also noted a rise in visitors from countries that hadn’t been known for choosing Greece, such as Russia, Ukraine and Israel.
Moreover, when asked whether Greece’s image has been hit from the “strikes, demonstrations and comparisons of the Germans with the Nazis,” she admitted that Greece had been complacent and didn’t advertise itself. “We want Greece’s comeback,” she said.
She said tourists have good reports when they visit Greece despite remaining problems such as some taxi drivers who cheat them and some tourist trap restaurants that inflate bills.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
