The Greek tourism shows yet durability in one more difficult year, as evidenced by the international arrivals at 14 major airports in the first half of 2012, which was reduced by only 4.6% compared with the corresponding period of 2011. This development, according to the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE), which collects data on arrivals, makes feasible the goal set for all international arrivals in 2012 of 16 million, perspective means that the loss of the season will be limited to 3%. This will happen, SETE says, ‘under the condition we will not have any incident than those characterized as” tourist-repellent” (ie, archaeological sites occupation, chemical cocktails exchanges, blockades of ports – airports, etc).’

Data analysis shows that essentially the losses of the years first half in absolute numbers come from Athens, and the airport ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ welcomed 187,201 fewer arrivals, while the loss of the 14 most important airports of the country amounted to 194,840 arrivals.

In percentage, ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ had the six mothns 14.88% fewer arrivals, while the negative were  Rhodes (-8.88%), Kos (-4.33%), Heraklion (-2.30 %), Zakynthos (-8.23%), Samos (-10.48%), Mykonos (-8.65%), Santorini (-3.65%) and Kavala (-16.75%) airports. In contrast, growth in arrivals is recorded at  Thessaloniki (6.95%), Corfu (10.73%), Chania (13.12%), Kefalonia (6.03%) and Skiathos (+6, 30%) airports.

Source: Xenia News