Last-minute reservations in July 2016 for Greek destinations via the Amadeus system apparently show a strong surge from most European markets, excluding Belgium and France.
Most indications point to a banner year in terms of tourist arrivals to the country, a noteworthy feat given a handful of internal and regional problems at present, such as still imposed capital controls, the Mideast war refugee crisis and the recent political instability in Turkey.
According to figures published this week, Crete, the Ionian islands and the Cyclades islands posted increased tourism arrivals in July, with passenger traffic at airports in the respective regions up 12.8 percent, 13.3 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively, compared to July 2015.
Passenger traffic at the Athens and Thessaloniki airports was up by 10 and 11.4 percent, respectively.
Conversely, the Dodecanese island of Kos, and the eastern Aegean islands of Samos and Lesvos reported lower airport passenger traffic, 13, 16.3 percent and a whopping 62 percent, respectively.
The latter has bore the brunt of the refugee/migrant crisis in the Aegean, serving as the “preferred” destination for smugglers operating from the opposite Turkish coast.
In terms of overland tourist arrivals in July, the numbers showed an increase of 26.8 percent, 3.7 percent και 46.2 percent from Albania, Bulgaria and Turkey, respectively.
