Tourism

I want to start with two revealing, and I would say disturbing - in their combination - set of numbers. The only income that the Municipality of Athens had from tourist activity in 2023 - by all accounts one of the best years for tourism - was just 2,714,664 euros.

February offered a 1.2% annual increase in tourist arrivals in hotel accommodation, rental rooms and camping and a 1.6% growth compared to the corresponding month last year, according to provisional data by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) released on Tuesday.

In February 2024, arrivals at tourist accommodation amounted to 773,104 and overnight stays to 1,677,685.

Overseas markets, such as the US, Australia, China, Japan, Korea and Canada, from where the air journey to Greece takes more than 10 hours, offer scope for significant further development of Greek tourism.

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni received the new ambassador of Japan, Koichi Ito, on Thursday.

During the meeting, they discussed the promotion of bilateral tourism cooperation, as well as the events in the field of tourism, planned on both sides, within the framework of Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism 2024.

As the May holidays mark the onset of sea tourism, Bulgarians and foreigners preparing for their annual getaways are facing a stark reality: trips this year will come with a heftier price tag, with expenses expected to surge by 10-15% compared to last year.

Lawmakers on April 17 accepted a legislative proposal on tourist guides aimed at easing the foreign language requirement and promoting guidance in Far Eastern languages.

The parliament alleviated the previous requirement of proving language proficiency above a certain level through an official exam, along with several qualifications for the profession.

What the country's Tourism Board says, the deadline for applications

The tourism season has officially commenced at the majestic Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled within southeastern province Adıyaman's Kahta district, hosting its first visitors.

Bansko, Bulgaria's premier mountain resort, experienced a surge in winter tourism, with more than 190,000 visitors flocking to its slopes during the season. The influx of tourists from Bulgaria, neighboring Balkan countries, various European nations, and even the United States has bolstered the region's tourism sector, marking significant progress in its post-pandemic recovery.

The largest number of foreign visitors to the occupied areas, apart from Türkiye comes from Russia, revealed the tourism minister of the pseudo-state