Tourism earnings keep rising
Tourism will bring the Greek economy an income of 39.2 billion euros this year, just 4% lower than the pre-pandemic high of €40.8 billion in 2019, according to the Economic Impact Research of the World Travel & Tourism Council.
According to the international association of tourism businesses, tourism will create more than 17,000 jobs in Greece this year, reaching the highs of 2019, when it employed 820,000 people.
In 2022, the of the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to Greece’s gross domestic product increased by 38.2%, reaching almost €38 billion. Therefore, tourism drives 18.5% of the Greek economy, as calculated by the WTTC. In addition, the industry created 5,000 additional jobs last year, reaching almost 800,000 people.
Tourism has recovered 82% of the jobs lost during the pandemic. Last year the UK (14%), Germany (14%) and Bulgaria (10%) were the top markets for international arrivals in Greece. Spending by foreign visitors is estimated to have contributed €19.1 billion to the national economy, showing a rise of more than 56% compared to the previous year.
“By the end of this year, the industry’s contribution will have almost returned to 2019 levels. Over the next decade, its growth will outpace the growth rate of the national economy and create thousands of new jobs,” noted WTTC CEO Julia Simpson.
