SGGP 10/25/2023 05:32

The number of tourists visiting Greece in the first eight months of 2023 was at a record high, despite the country experiencing a heatwave and devastating wildfires.

According to data from the Bank of Greece, by the end of August 2023, this Mediterranean country had welcomed 22.65 million visitors.

According to Greekcitytimes, compared to the same period last year, the number of visitors increased by 18.4%, surpassing the record of 21.84 million reached in the first 8 months of 2019. Passenger traffic to the airport increased by 12.4%, while the number of passengers passing through land border stations increased by 38.4%. The tourism industry contributes a quarter of Greece's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Southern Greece has seen several forest fires in July due to prolonged dry and hot weather, raising concerns that this key economic sector will be negatively affected by heat waves and forest fires.