Greek tourism continued to grow this year despite the country’s continued economic instability. Tourism reached a record high this summer. The economy ministry estimated that arrivals this year would exceed last year’s record of nearly 21 million and has now confirmed the number to be around 25 million. Travelers came throughout the year primarily from Europe, Asia and the United States.
Greek museums got a big boost as well. They increased by 10.1% in May 2015 according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). The agency noted that there was a 9.3% increase in the number of visitors to archaeological sites in May. ELSTAT also added that visitors in Greek museums increased by 12.4% between January and May 2015. The agency also noted a 12.7% increase in visitors to archaeological sites for the same period .
Tourism accounts for around a fifth of Greek economic output – perhaps more now that the economy is shrinking again. “Tourism is… our heavy industry, it is the main economic source of income today and also the main source of jobs for many Greeks,” Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura told parliament this week.”Today it offers 750,000 direct jobs, numbers that rise to 1.5 million jobs including indirect tourism-related jobs.”