Airports are expecting an arrivals rise

International air arrivals at the country’s regional airports are projected to post an 8.9 percent yearly rise in July and 10.1 percent growth in August, according to data by the Single Authority for Flight Coordination.

Alternate Minister for Tourism Elena Kountoura presented the figures yesterday, saying that the tourism year will likely close with a rise both in arrivals and in revenues, as this increase in July and August will be decisive for the entire 2016 given that these months account for 41 percent of all arrivals each year.

In the first half of 2016 international arrivals by air posted an annual rise of 4.4 percent to reach almost 6 million, though arrivals by road dropped 19 percent yearon-year in the first five months. The Greek National Tourism Organization estimates that the road arrival deficit will be much narrower soon, as the May-toSeptember period is when 72 percent of all road arrivals take place.

Travel receipts posted a 6.2 percent decline in the JanuaryMay period from last year, but again the GNTO said the first half only covers 30 percent of the year’s revenues, so the rise expected in the latter half should make up for the drop in the first five months.