Athens is aiming to increase the number of Russian tourists to Greece this year by 10 percent according to Greek Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura.Published on : Thursday, March 22, 2018
Athens is aiming to increase the number of Russian tourists to Greece this year by 10 percent according to Greek Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura.
To quote Kountoura, “Every year, we see an increase of about 20 percent [in the number of Russian tourists]. In 2017, there were about 900,000 Russian tourists in our country. I would be extremely pleased if we have a 10-percent increase this year. That’s the goal, at least.” The minister added that Moscow and Athens are developing and deepening cooperation in tourism.
Kountoura spoke about a rising interest in Russia among Greek tourists – “Even compared to the previous year, we can note that there is an increase in the number of Greek tourists, who intend and have already visited Russia. We have put a lot of effort into showing the capabilities of the Russian Federation to a Greek tourist.” She added that the most popular destinations in Russia for Greek tourists are Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The minister stressed that in 2017, the number of Greeks visiting Russia had increased by 30 percent from the year earlier.
“We strive to make [Russia] a permanent traditional destination for the average Greek tourist,” Kountoura added.
In 2015, the arrival of Russian tourists to Turkey and Egypt — two popular countries for the Russians — significantly decreased due to the diplomatic crisis between Moscow and Ankara, and a plane crash over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Since then, Russia has managed to normalize relations with Turkey and reach an agreement on resuming air traffic with Egypt.
Kountoura said that Greece would try to offer the best possible service, particularly in thematic tourism, amid intensifying market competition.
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