Greek tourism: 89% of H1 2017 travel receipts from five regions
Based on final data, the balance of travel services in January-June 2017 posted a surplus of €3,147 million, up 8.5% from a surplus of €2,901 million in January-June 2016. This development is attributed primarily to an increase of €236 million or 6.2% in travel receipts and, to a lesser extent, to a decrease of €10 million or 1.1% in travel payments. The rise in travel receipts in January-June 2017 over the same period of 2016 was driven by an increase in average expenditure per trip by about €25 or 5.3% (January-June 2017: €476, January-June 2016: €451), as well as by a 0.8% rise in the number of non-resident inbound visitors.
Specifically, expenditure per overnight stay increased slightly (by 0.8%) to €68, while the average length of stay remained virtually unchanged year-on-year at 7 nights. The number of overnight stays increased by 5.3% to 59,859 thousand in January-June 2017, from 56,868 thousand in January-June 2016.
Travel receipts
In January-June 2017, travel receipts totalled €4,077 million, up 6.2% relative to the same period of 2016. This development was driven by a 6.7% increase in receipts from residents of the EU28, which came to €2,654 million or 65.1% of total travel receipts, and by a rise in receipts from residents outside the EU28 (up 7.2% to €1,276 million).
In particular, receipts from euro area residents increased by 10.6% year-on-year to €1,640 million, while receipts from residents of non-euro area EU28 countries rose by 1.0% to €1,014 million.
Among major countries of origin, receipts from Germany rose by 12.7% to €672 million, as did receipts from France, by 4.5% to €247 million. Receipts from the United Kingdom also increased, by 9.7% to €661 million. Turning to non-EU28 countries, receipts from Russia rose by 17.8% to €129 million, while receipts from the United States also increased, by 1.9% to €273 million.
Travel receipts by trip purpose
Looking at the breakdown of non-resident expenditure in Greece by trip purpose, trips for personal reasons represented the bulk of receipts in January-June 2017, with a share of 92.0% in total expenditure, up from 90.6% in the same period of 2016, as the corresponding receipts increased by 7.8%. Within this category, leisure accounted for the largest share of total expenditure (January-June 2017: 80.7%, January-June 2016: 79.0%), with the corresponding receipts increasing by 8.4% to €3,291 million. Trips for the purpose of visiting family accounted for 5.8% (or 238 million). Receipts from trips for health purposes rose by 96.8% to €24 million. Finally, receipts from business trips dropped by 9.6%, lowering their share in total receipts (January-June 2017: 8.0%, January-June 2016: 9.4%).
Inbound traveller flows
As already mentioned, the number of inbound visitors in January-June 2017, increased by 0.8% to 8,574 thousand, from 8,508 thousand in January-June 2016. This development is attributed to an increase, by 494 thousand or 6.6%, in the number of inbound visitors excluding cruise passengers, which was largely offset by a drop in the number of cruise passengers (down 428 thousand or 40.3%). Specifically, visitor flows through airports increased by 11.3%, while visitor flows through road border-crossing points declined by 4.1%. Visitors from within the EU28 accounted for 62.2% of the total number of visitors and visitors from outside the EU28 for 30.4% (1). In January-June 2017, visitors from the EU28 increased by 7.9% relative to the same period of 2016. This development is attributed to an increase in the number of visitors from euro area countries by 18.5% to 2,864 thousand, as visitors from the non-euro area EU28 countries decreased by 2.3% to 2,467 thousand. The number of visitors from non-EU28 countries rose by 4.2% to 2,609 thousand.
In particular, visitors from Germany increased by 18.0% to 1,048 thousand, as did visitors from France, by 12.3% to 413 thousand. Visitors from the United Kingdom also increased, by 3.2% to 958 thousand. Finally, turning to non-EU28 countries, the number of visitors from Russia rose by 15.1% to 187 thousand, whereas the number of visitors from the United States fell by 2.3% to 298 thousand.
Overnight stays
In January-June 2017, the number of overnight stays in Greece totalled 59,859 thousand, up by 5.3% from 56,868 thousand in January-June 2016. This was driven by a 7.5% increase in nights spent by residents of non-EU28 countries, as well as by a 3.9% rise in nights spent by residents of the EU28. The increase in overnight stays by residents of the EU28 is attributed to a 9.2% increase in nights spent by residents of the euro area, as nights spent by residents of non-euro area EU28 countries fell by 3.8%. The number of overnight stays increased by 11.5% for German residents, by 3.8% for French residents and by 10.2% for UK residents. Turning to non-EU28 countries, the number of overnight stays by Russian residents increased by 0.5%, while those by US residents decreased by 0.3%.
Cruises
Since 2012, the Bank of Greece conducts a cruise-specific survey (“Cruise Survey”) in order to enrich the data collected through its Border Survey. Following a standardised methodology, detailed cruise data for the period January-June 2017 were collected from 16 Greek ports, covering 86.7% of all cruise ship arrivals.
The period under review saw 1,178 cruise ship arrivals (January-June 2016: 1,487) and 1,565 thousand cruise passenger visits (January-June 2016: 1,783 thousand). According to this survey, 90.1% of all cruise passengers were transit visitors, with an average of 2.3 stopovers at Greek ports of call (down from 1.6 stopovers in January-June 2016).
In January-June 2017, total receipts from cruise passengers fell by 7.9%, relative to the same period of 2016, to €163 million. Of this amount, €16 million were already captured in the Border Survey data, as they represent receipts from visitors leaving the country through Greek last ports, while the remaining €147 million concern additional receipts data recorded by the Cruise Survey. Τhe fact that the decrease in cruise receipts was significantly lower than the drop in the number of cruise passenger visits is attributed to an increase in the number of cruise passengers with a Greek home port.
The port of Piraeus ranks first with a share of 48.6% in total cruise receipts, followed by the port of Corfu with 14.4% and the port of Santorini with 7.7%. The seven most important cruise ship ports account for 91.4% of total cruise receipts and 87.1% of total cruise passenger visits.
Total overnight stays ashore increased year-on-year in the period under review by 24.1% to 1,692 thousand, while the total number of cruise visitors fell sharply (by 38.9%) to an estimated 667 thousand, with a negative impact on cruise receipts.
Balance of travel receipts by region
As shown by the Border Survey, travel receipts in the period January-June 2017 amounted to €3,930 million. Five regions accounted for the bulk (88.9%) of total receipts (Τable 8), namely: the Southern Aegean (€921 million), Crete (€906 million), Attica (€803 million), Central Macedonia (€469 million) and the Ionian Islands (€395 million). The remaining regions (the Peloponnese, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaly, Epirus, Western Greece, Central Greece, the Northern Aegean and Western Macedonia) together accounted for €437 million.
Visits to Greece (all 13 regions combined) in January-June 2017 totalled 9,025 thousand. The number of visits exceeds the number of inbound visitors, as travellers may visit more than one region in the course of one trip.
The six most popular regional destinations, accounting for 87.7% of total visits, were: Attica (1,986 thousand visits), Central Macedonia (1,948 thousand), the Southern Aegean (1,497 thousand), Crete (1,367 thousand), the Ionian Islands (597 thousand) and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (519 thousand). The remaining regions (Epirus, the Peloponnese, Western Greece, Thessaly, Central Greece, Western Macedonia and the Northern Aegean) together accounted for 1,112 thousand visits.
The number of overnight stays in Greece in the period under review totalled 58,513 thousand. According to the breakdown into the 13 regions, five regions accounted for 86.8% of total overnight stays, namely: the Southern Aegean (12,701 thousand nights), Crete (12,422 thousand), Attica (11,167 thousand), Central Macedonia (9,407 thousand) and the Ionian Islands (5,111 thousand). The remaining regions (the Peloponnese, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaly, Epirus, the Northern Aegean, Western Greece, Central Greece and Western Macedonia) together accounted for 7,707 thousand overnight stays.
Read more here.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Dimboukas License: CC-BY-SA
23/04 23:52
Greece’s New Ambassador to the United States visits Queens in New York
23/04 21:49
Traffic regulations in Athens due to the Olympic Torch Relay on Thursday-Friday
23/04 20:59
President of the Hellenic Republic wrapping up visit to Uruguay at parliament
23/04 15:44
Greek government will pass legislation halving commission paid for POS transactions
23/04 15:03
Precise location of Plato's burial site unveiled by ancient papyrus
22/04 22:33
'Nature Positive' peport highlights new collaborative era in travel & tourism
22/04 21:25
22/04 20:37
Greek and Turkish delegations discuss Confidence Building Measures for 2024
22/04 18:29
Over 114,000 Greek Diaspora citizens register to vote by post in the European elections
22/04 13:40
19/04 01:29
Athens State Orchestra presents 'St. Matthew's Passion' by Bach on April 30th
18/04 21:49
Greek Climate Change Minister signs memorandum for Attica fire protection zones
18/04 20:32
'Easter Basket' and 'Godparents basket' to be put into effect next week in Greece
18/04 20:17
18/04 17:40
17/04 21:06
Thessaloniki Port: Performance growth for 2023 with record container throughput
17/04 20:57
Traffic regulations imposed in Athens for the 41st Peace Marathon on Sunday
17/04 20:52
17/04 18:15
Greek Foreign Minister addresses the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens
17/04 17:12
16/04 21:02
NHM hosts the Trial of Pericles at the Harris Theater in Chicago on April 17
16/04 20:17
Greece will invest $830 million to protect marine biodiversity
16/04 01:46
New York Greek Independence Parade honors 1821 and solemn Cyprus Anniversary
16/04 01:35
Olympic Games Paris 2024: Olympic Flame to be lit at Ancient Olympia in Greece
16/04 00:29
European Committee of Regions and UN release study on Rural Tourism
15/04 20:41
15/04 19:58
Minister: Greece is transforming into a hub for exporting quality agri-food products
15/04 18:51
Greek Environment Minister meets Chinese Deputy Minister of Natural Resources
13/04 00:13
UN Tourism and Croatia to launch Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism
12/04 00:03
2024 marks a critical year in the enduring strength of Greek-German relations
12/04 00:00
11/04 22:07
Ambassador: US committed to upgrade of Greek military and support NATO's SE flank
11/04 19:40
Hellenic Pride on display at rainy Chicago Greek Independence Day Parade
11/04 02:06
Delphi Economic Forum IX: Energy collaboration a 'key' in Greek-Bulgarian relations
11/04 01:58
UN Tourism launches investment guidelines for Albania sector
10/04 19:01
Greek FinMin: New package of economic measures in 2025 to lower taxes, raise pensions
10/04 18:25
Greek city of Nafplion hosts Mediterranean Yacht Show for ninth year running
09/04 23:57
Greek PM on Tilos: Innovative projects for a cyclical economy are of key significance
09/04 23:55
UN Tourism members promote agenda for Europe as region leads global recovery
09/04 23:46
HFS presents 1968, Rousing Docudrama about Greece’s First European Cup April 21
09/04 22:48
Stolen 7th-century BC oenochoe returned to Greece by Hanover museum, municipality
09/04 22:42
Greek civil servants confederation ADEDY to strike on May 21
09/04 21:55
Greek Migration Minister meets Senior US Coordinator for Lawful Migration
08/04 23:48
08/04 23:41
Elliniko-Argyroupoli Mayor marches in Greek Independence Philadelphia Parade
08/04 21:53
Project Voria casino complex in Maroussi moving ahead after environmental report
08/04 21:36
Minister: Up to 120 delegations to take part in 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens
08/04 19:22
Direct flight from Shanghai to Athens offers access to key tourism market for Greece
08/04 18:31
AI conference to attract distinguished speakers to Thessaloniki on April 25-27
04/04 23:28
City of San Jose marks March 25 with 16th Annual Greek Flag Raising Event
04/04 22:16
Urban plans published for seven townships in Thessaloniki and Attica of Greece
04/04 17:24
FinMin: The new EU economic and fiscal framework is good for Greece
04/04 15:30
Greek PM meets with the chiefs of the international pharmaceutical manufacturers
04/04 00:15
Deputy Minister for Macedonia-Thrace meets US Embassy Deputy Mission Chief
03/04 20:12
Syracuse AHEPA Chapter 37 marks March 25th Greek Independence Day
03/04 18:10
Greece's Delphi Economic Forum on April 10-13 to focus on 'The Great Transition'
03/04 16:42
Minister: Industrial production has returned to the pre-crisis levels in Greece
02/04 18:06
30/03 23:21
Eleni Gatzoyiannis scholarship offered to Greek students at Boston University
29/03 16:44
3rd edition of 'This is Athens - City Festival' with 250+ events from May 1 until June 2
29/03 15:53
Athens Metro station Aghia Varvara to stay closed on Saturday and Sunday
29/03 13:55
Greek Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy concludes visit to Montenegro
29/03 12:00
29/03 11:51
28/03 18:41
Attica Region to channel 640 bln euros to services of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups
28/03 17:32
Greece to auction three-month T-bills on April 3, 2024 in a book entry form
28/03 15:46
Greece's Meteora Pyli Geopark added to UNESCO Global Geoparks network
28/03 14:44
IPTO announces framework agreement tender for undersea power cables in Greece
28/03 11:49
IOBE: Construction sector in Greece records robust growth and good prospects
26/03 23:51
St. Thomas Hellenic School honors 1821 and the Feast of the Annunciation in NJ
26/03 21:59
PM at Economic Club of Canada: Greece is an attractive investment destination
26/03 17:56
Greek State budget primary balance reaches a surplus of 3,378 million euros
26/03 11:45
Ancient Messene to get upgraded visitors' facilities after approval by Council
23/03 17:43
New requirements for 'Golden Visa' program to kick in on March 31
23/03 16:49
Athenians continue to head out of the Greek Capital for March 25 long weekend
23/03 16:47
Greek Parliament lights to be turned off for Earth Hour 8:30-9:30 pm
22/03 21:54
US President on Greek Independence Day: Alliance with Greece stronger than ever
22/03 19:51
High diplomacy and geopolitics at Delphi Economic Forum IX in Greece
22/03 19:32
Tax authorities enable payments with foreign bank cards in Greece
22/03 14:19
22/03 00:24
Greece ranks first on list of countries with fastest business environment progress
22/03 00:02
Hellenic Police acquires first electric VAN-type highway patrol vehicle
21/03 22:41
21/03 15:33
Unseen Museum presents "The stele of the twin babies" exhibition in Athens
20/03 22:48
Health Minister: 95% of Greek hospitals to perform afternoon surgeries
20/03 21:52
Greek Deputy Minister of Justice meets delegation from US Embassy in Athens
20/03 21:44
Greek Interior Minister to visit United States and Canada on postal vote
20/03 20:55
Philadelphia Icarians mark 85th Anniversary and organize Apokriatiko Dance
20/03 18:01
Development Minister: We continue the battle against high prices in Greece
19/03 22:28
President of the Hellenic Republic meets her Ethiopian counterpart in Athens
19/03 20:57
19/03 20:25
FinMIn: Moody’s analysis records significant progress in the Greek economy
19/03 11:15
Sector chiefs report: Good news for Greek tourism in 2024 at ITB Berlin
18/03 22:20
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association honors Past Supreme President
16/03 13:01
Greek Deputy Foreign Μinister meets her Slovenian counterpart in Athens
16/03 12:56
Greek-Canadian Diaspora to welcome Greek Prime Minister to Toronto
16/03 11:28
Greek Migration Minister visits refugee hosting facilities in Kavala, Drama and Serres
15/03 21:50
Greek Minister announces conference on defence ecosystem in Athens from Lithuania
15/03 13:45
PM: More than 80 hospitals and 156 health centres being upgraded in Greece
15/03 12:55
Piraeus Port and Genoa Chambers of Commerce ink memorandum of cooperation
Greek capital of Athens among top-10 most beautiful cities for the second time
PM at Axia discussion: Greece offering great investment opportunities in 2023
ATHEX chief: Venture Capital for 'new generation' digital fintech solutions
Tri-city winter luncheon unites upstate New York Philoptochos chapters
Priceless antiquities returned to the people of Greece at New York Consulate
ELSTAT: Hospitality enterprises' turnover grows 28.6% in Greece during Q1
Bill lifting restrictions for Greeks voting from abroad greenlighted by majority vote
Greek supermarkets record rise in value and decline in volume of FMCG sales
Impressive statue of Hercules unearthed in Philippi of Northern Greece
UNWTO promotes people's role and MSMES as sector transformation agents
World Taste Atlas: Greek cuisine is the second best on the planet
Severe weather front to continue across Greece until Wednesday (video)
Deadline to file taxes is extended in Greece to July 31 by Finance Ministry
New publication: 'I am not Maria - I am Callas: Her real life and an eon of myths'
Hellenic Film Society USA presents Maria by Callas at MoMI in New York
Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation presents lecture with US University President
Greek Tourism Minister: Passenger location form to be abolished in Greece as of March 15
Volcano lights up in spectacular display of fireworks on Greek island of Santorini
National Polytechnic of Athens commemorates 49th uprising anniversary
Infrastructure works on Spinalonga island to assist visitors and protect the monument
Inspirational project promoting Hellenism and love for Greece globally (video)