Tourism is a decisive factor and a great concern for all Greek stakeholders engaged in the industry. The Bank of Greece  recently published its annual report with the results of last year’s tourist activity, painting a favourable picture of the sector’s performance.

The year 2014 marked a record in terms of arrivals. Without including the cruise industry, Greece received 22 million travellers (twice its population) and €14 billion in tourist receipts. Compared to 2013, the figures mark an increase by 23% and 10% respectively. 

Among the different markets of Europeans visiting Greece, the French seem to have shown a greater interest in Greek destinations, raising the number of French travellers to Greece by nearly 30% (1.5 million people). Though the bar is set high, the target for 2015 has been set at 25 million visitors; that is probably feasible, given that the current 2014 figure of 22 million does not include cruise passengers who are expected to reach 2 million.