«Athens prepares for 1 million visitors this week», the British Guardian reports in an article, noting that the Greek islands are experiencing record tourist flows, while many international celebrities are visiting the country.
The British newspaper also features an extensive statement by Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias from the Observer. «This year the whole world is voting for Greece,» Kikilias says, stressing that «even though we have a war in Europe, a pandemic that is still with us, an energy crisis, global uncertainty, inflation, tensions with Turkey, tourists are still coming. Arrivals to popular islands increased by 20%».
The publication said that data already show that this year's tourist season in Greece will exceed the all-time record of 33.1 million visitors in 2019, which is 3 times the country's total population.
«However, the Greeks know that they are in for a hard winter. According to Eurostat, inflation reached 11.5% this month - the highest level in 28 years,» the Guardian reports, quoting economist Nikos Vettas who notes that «although Greece is now growing faster than many other countries in Europe, thanks in part to tourism, the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine are huge threats that cannot be ignored.».
