On the sacred rock of the Acropolis, the iconic monument of Athens, bands of tourists have been streaming uninterrupted since June. After a two-year pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign visitors are back in full force in the Greek capital. Each day, more than 16,000 people walk through the ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Athena – an all-time record.
This summer, tourist visits could exceed the 33 million – more than three times the country's population – who landed in Greece in 2019. According to the Greek Ministry of Tourism, 5.12 million passengers arrived in July at the country's 14 regional airports, compared to 4.49 million in July 2019. (For just one statistic, some 500,000 Americans have come to spend their summer vacation in Greece.) Tourist revenue is also climbing and is expected to reach 20 billion euros this year, up from 18.2 billion in 2019, per the Bank of Greece.
"After two difficult years, the return of American tourists, who have strong purchasing power, is a godsend," said Stefania Flega, general manager of the YES! Hotels group, which has several hotels in Athens and one on the island of Santorini. For the French, Serbians and Israelis, Greece is the number one destination this summer.
'On some islands, demand has surpassed supply'
In an attempt to make up for two lean years and cope with rising energy prices, overnight rates have increased by about 20%, according to the Greek Statistics Authority. "In Athens, hotel prices have not risen excessively, but on some islands, demand has surpassed supply and they have soared compared to 2021," Ms. Flega said.
So much so that some places prized by foreigners, especially in the Cyclades archipelago, have become inaccessible to Greeks. The center-right newspaper I Kathimerini noted that the cost of a one-week stay for a family with two children on an island more than seven hours by boat from the port of Piraeus has climbed by 65% compared to 2017. The left-leaning cooperative daily newspaper Efsyn, for its part, observed that in a country where the minimum wage is only 713 euros gross per month, nearly one in every two employees is unable to take vacation in the Aegean Islands.
"For the Greek middle class, these prices are a deterrent," Corinne Harcourt, Cyclades Islands Travel agency
Yannis Syrianos, a 40-year-old cab driver in the Athens area, chose to fly with his wife and daughter to Crete and "not to Santorini, Mykonos or Paros." "I chose a destination where the rates are still affordable, and I reduced the time we spent there. I went for only five days, whereas before I took at least a week," he said.
You have 51.21% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.