London, Thanasis Gavos

In the figures of the Bank of Greece which show that last year for the first time the British surpassed the Germans in terms of the country of origin of visitors to our country, the response of the Guardian is mentioned.

Specifically, British tourist arrivals in 2022 increased by 181%, reaching almost 4.5 million. This is a total number of arrivals from Britain that is almost three million more than in 2021.

“When it comes to Greece, the British are on top. And they spend a lot of money”, says Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias to the correspondent of the British newspaper in Athens.

Central bank data shows that British visitors left over €3 billion in Greece in 2022, double the amount in 2021.

“Yes, there may be an energy crisis and very high inflation and a war in the heart of Europe, with households being forced to make savings, but the evidence shows that Britons are not sacrificing their summer holidays,” comments Mr Kikilias. .

The publication also states that in 2019 Greece recorded a record number of international arrivals welcoming 33.1 million tourists. And in 2022, the country was one of the most popular destinations in the world, with massive visits from the US in a prolonged touristic period from March to the end of November.

The contribution of tourism, which accounts for 25% of government revenue, helped Greece’s economy grow by 5.6% in 2022, the newspaper added, commenting that this is a recovery “that would have been unthinkable during the prolonged crisis.” debt of Greece”.

However, the publication notes that the dramatic increase in arrivals has also caused concerns about the effects of excessive tourism on the environment and on cultural monuments such as the Acropolis.

Tourism professionals in Greece cited by the Guardian note, finally, that the initial bookings show that 2023 will be just as good if not a better year for arrivals from Britain.