Greece's Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias expects around 2022 million travelers to land at Athens Airport in the second half of 5,7. If his forecast comes true, a new monthly record can be expected for September 2022.

"In the second half of 2022, an estimated 5,7 million travelers will come to Athens by air," Kizilias said in an interview with TV channel SKAI. At the same time, the government member emphasized that the priority is revenue and not quantity.

The goal is to boost the treasury to pass the proceeds on to the average Greek family and working population, as part of an effort to empower lesser-known local communities. "The data so far shows that these goals are being met, as is the extension of the tourism season," he said, adding that this year's season is expected to last until December.

“Tourism accounts for 25 percent of the country's GDP and is the main source of income. It goes without saying that the government will invest in fast-track projects to launch a new tourism model with a focus on sustainable tourism development in the coming year,” said the Greek minister.

So far, a total of 14 million passengers have been handled at Greek airports in the first five months of the year, an increase of 377,7 percent compared to the same period in 2021 and 86 percent of the level before the year, according to the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA). Covid pandemic has reached.

Greek authorities expect tourist arrivals by the end of the year to match or even surpass record 2019, which was a record year with 30 million international arrivals and €18,1 billion in revenue.