Selection: Michalis Katsigeras

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: At meetings chaired by Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis, a considerable improvement in tourism this year was discussed. Various decisions were made regarding the organization of tourism services and powers were delegated to carry this out. Based on the figures at hand, it appears that during the first five months of this year, 76,844 tourists arrived in the country; during the same period last year, the figure was 62,534, marking an increase of about 22.88 percent. These figures do not include cruise ship passengers who come ashore at Greek ports, which, according to all indications, have also been increasing in numbers. In addition, in the first five months of this year, the official revenues from tourism exchange at the Bank of Greece was 12,592,236 dollars, up by 21.33 percent from last year's 10,378,440 dollars. After examining all the figures, it was concluded that there was major potential for further development of the tourism industry. If these are exploited in the right way, it should be possible within a relatively short period of time to achieve a balance in foreign exchange payments.