Despite a sharp increase in the number of guests this summer, the Greek economy remains fragile and vulnerable.
Earlier this month, Elon Musk flew to Mykonos, spending €7,000 to enjoy the pleasures of a golden boat for a few hours. In the vicinity of Paros, Roger Federer bathed the shelves with his circle of relatives away from the tennis court while Magic Johnson raved. about her “life-changing experience” at the Acropolis and Nicole Kidman thanked the “beautiful Greece” on Instagram.
Greece is having a wonderful summer. Just when tourism officials think it can’t get better, it’s possible. Athens is preparing to welcome a million visitors this week; A record number flock to the islands, despite the jellyfish, and there are many celebrities on holiday.
“This year, everyone is voting [for] Greece,” the country’s tourism minister, Vassilis Kikilias, told the Observer. “We have a war in Europe, a pandemic that is still there, an energy crisis, global uncertainty, inflation. , tensions with Turkey and even jellyfish and yet they keep coming. Arrivals to the islands have increased by 20%. “
In the Greek capital, it cannot be greater either: after the massive return of holidaymakers due to the coronavirus of the lost years, swarming through the streets of the historic center of the town and crowding into the archaeological sites.
The figures already point to a tourist season that will surpass the country’s all-time record of attracting 33. 1 million, more than 3 times greece’s total population, in 2019.
For Costas Lavidas, who runs the kebab that made his grandfather notice in the 50s, travelers are a safer life. “What is certain is that if there were no tourists I would not have the things I have,” he said. banging sticks of marinated red meat on the grill as queues formed outdoors at the eating spot on Syntagma Square in Athens. “Thank God they are here!”
It’s not just the hotel islands that are reporting a significant increase in arrivals. Demand for cruise ships has also soared, with more than 700 ocean liners expected to dock in Greek ports by 2022. “There is an increase of 280 percent in the port of Thessaloniki and 130 percent in Piraeus,” Kikilias said.
Flights to Athens International Airport, one of the few in Europe that were not affected by delays this summer, rose 20%. The impulse is such that if there is any problem, it is to locate enough personnel to equip the industry. In recent months, resorts and hotels have recruited Ukrainian refugees to fill positions.
“Since March 2, there have been nine direct flights from the United States to Athens every day. It’s a game-changer,” added Kikilias. Se expects about 500,000 Americans to come by November. They are big consumers and with the exchange rate from the dollar to the euro, they can spend even more.
Greece made 18. 2 billion euros in tourism profits in 2019 and just over 10 billion euros last year when Greece opened its borders in May. Speaking to CNN last Thursday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the idea would be “pleasantly surprised” once they had “done the math” at the end of the season.
“Greece is doing well this summer,” he told the US channel. “We have put a lot of effort into our tourism product, making sure that all new investments in tourism are sustainable. We have noticed that this year the tourist season has begun. “very early and I hope it ends very late.
In an economy so dependent on the sector – tourism accounts for 25% of Greece’s economic output and one in five jobs – the virus that has taken hold after Covid has had the effect of being more than just a mental balm.
Far from the pink numbers, the Greeks know they are in reserve for a complicated winter. Inflation hit 11. 5% – a 28-year high – this month, according to data released Friday through Eurostat. In a country where the minimum wage is €713 in line with the month and where it is estimated that 43% of the running population cannot go on holiday, costs have skyrocketed.
“There are a lot of other people in this country who paint for less than 1,000 euros a month,” said Nikos Vettas, an economics educator who heads the influential THINK TANK IOBE.
“Greek incomes are below average wages in the EU, mostly due to the years of crisis,” he added, referring to the harsh austerity that imposed the value of foreign bailouts to prevent the indebted country from going bankrupt. Therefore, the increase in values for many families had been a shock.
“We are an economy that is still recovering, an economy that has exceeded 25 percent,” Vettas said. massive threats that cannot be ignored. “