More flights, arrivals from US
Tourism officials eye a further increase in tourists and revenues by 10% compared to 2022
It is becoming increasingly likely that visitors from North America in 2023 will exceed last year’s 1 million arrivals, with receipts also topping 1 billion euros (estimated for 2022), as major US airlines are increasing their flight schedule to Greece.
This summer season direct flights between the US and Greece are expected to outnumber last year’s. More than 56 weekly direct flights have already been planned from the US and Canada, with both the Tourism Ministry and industry bodies are pressing on with efforts to improve this number further.
According to sources involved in the relevant negotiations with the US carriers, their predisposition is to actually proceed with an increase in routes in relation to the historic high of 2022.
Besides, the return last year of US arrivals to pre-crisis levels and close to their historic highs is obviously the result of the direct connection of Greece with the other side of the Atlantic. Last season’s flight schedule of American airlines ended a week ago, and the 2023 one begins in March.
Receipts from the US in January-November 2022, for which there are official data from the Bank of Greece, increased by 86.4% compared to 2021 and amounted to 1.057 billion euros. Travel traffic from the US increased by 167.5% to 975,700 travelers. Together with December, these figures are expected to increase by approximately 5%. The target for 2023 is to grow this market by around 10%.
Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias is working to this end and, according to ministry sources, is about to make some very encouraging announcements. “Upgrading relations with the US and our constructive cooperation in the last tourism season are the best guarantees for even more impressive results,” Kikilias emphasized, speaking to Kathimerini.
“We have worked hard, and with a strategy, in order to achieve two main goals: first, to make Greece a year-round destination and, second, to bring more revenue to the country,” he added, expressing optimism that tourism will be a key driver of the Greek economy.
