Athens eyes rise in visitor numbers
The Greek capital will see a fresh rise in tourism this season, according to data presented to the media on Thursday by Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis and Aegean Airlines Vice President Eftychis Vassilakis.
Kaminis said that arrivals at Athens International Airport in the first quarter of the year registered a 14 percent annual rise, while Vassilakis noted that the increase in Aegean arrivals at AIA came to 19 percent year-on-year.
Special reference was made to the Athens Tourism Partnership, an initiative for promoting the capital by the City of Athens, Aegean and AIA, with the financial support of the Hellenic Initiative. The partnership has a 600,000-euro budget to implement its “This is Athens” campaign.
“To grasp the significance of such a campaign it is worth understanding that, according to tourism market figures, 40 visitors arriving mean one new job,” Kaminis explained, stressing the importance of tourism for Athens.
The municipal authority has placed emphasis on attracting conferences and corporate meetings in the capital. Relevant data show that there is increased interest in that direction not just for this year but also for the next three years.
