Tourism numbers looking up
Tourism Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos (second from left) told a press conference yesterday that tourist arrivals in the first six months of the year – via the country’s main airports – rose 3 percent over the same period last year, despite expectations by many of an annual drop in 2008 numbers. The number of Russian tourists jumped 35 percent on an annual basis while 15 percent more Bulgarians and Chinese have so far decided to visit Greece. The minister also pointed out that the number of cruise ships expected to visit Greece this year will be double last year’s figures.
