Greece has witnessed a remarkable surge in tourist arrivals, setting a record high since the beginning of the year, as per official statistics released on Monday. Even amid a heatwave and devastating wildfires over the summer, Greece has attracted a significant number of tourists. From January through the end of August, a staggering 22.65 million visitors explored this Mediterranean gem, celebrated for its Aegean islands and historic sites, including the iconic Acropolis in Athens.
The Bank of Greece reported an 18.4 per cent increase in tourist numbers for the first eight months of the year compared to the previous year. This surge surpassed the record set in 2019 when Greece hosted 21.84 million tourists. This boost is especially significant since tourism figures had taken a hit in 2020 and 2021 due to travel restrictions enforced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even though Greece faced a series of fierce wildfires starting in July, during a prolonged heatwave with temperatures soaring to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southern regions of the country, tourism numbers remained robust. These fires, which necessitated the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, including numerous tourists, from popular Greek island resorts such as Rhodes and Corfu, did not deter travellers.
In total, the wildfires, fuelled by dry, hot, and windy conditions, tragically claimed 26 lives and charred approximately 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) of land. The United States was the leading contributor to the surge in tourism numbers this year, experiencing a remarkable 50.3 per cent increase in August compared to the same period in 2022.
Tourism plays a substantial role in Greece’s economy, accounting for approximately a quarter of the country's GDP. However, this rapid surge in tourist numbers has led to concerns over ‘over tourism’ on certain islands and exorbitant prices on others.
Over the summer, a ‘beach towel movement’ emerged, with local residents protesting the occupation of many beaches by businesses offering day rentals of parasols and deckchairs, often at high rates. This tourism boom, while beneficial, has also ignited a discussion about the potential challenges that mass tourism can bring to the region.