According to recent data, the city of Athens continues to increase its share in Greece’s tourism market, establishing itself solidly as a tourist destination all on its own.
The latest news bulletin from the Institute of Greek Tourism, known as INSETE, shows that even the month of October, considered an off-season period for Greek tourism, recorded an impressive increase in foreign arrivals in the Greek capital.
A total of 563,580 travelers arrived in Athens between October 1 and October 31, 2019, a number up by 9.6 percent compared to those seen in October of last year.
This figure represents an all-time record high number of tourist arrivals in Athens for the month of October.
The Greek capital hosted an impressive 5.7 million tourists between January 1 and October 31 this year, a figure up by 11.6 percent compared to 2018.
It should be noted that just a few years ago, in 2012, Athens hosted only 2.5 million tourists during the entire year, a figure which clearly shows the enormous increase the city has seen in the last few years.
These figures also show that Athens has now become one of Europe’s top “City Break” destinations, which was clearly not the case in the past. Until recently, Athens was often seen more of an airport destination for tourists, who would immediately catch another flight to go to the islands upon landing there.
According to most comments on well-known travel websites from foreign tourists who had visited Athens, the city possesses unique qualities which have combined together to create its great reputation as a destination.
According to these travelers, the city’s greatest advantages are its predominantly sunny weather, its massive archaeological wealth with its many sites and museums, and its traditional Greek hospitality, which most tourists say they feel when they interact with local people.
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