period 2013. If we put together the cruise visitors, the total number exceeds 21 million tourists.
 
The president of the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises Andreas Andreadis,said that the target of 19 millions tourists will be overlapped.
The growth of tourism, beyond the target, is a catalyst for the return of growth of Greek economy.
 
This unexpected performance of tourism makes analysts to expect from NSSG to announce a higher GDP for the second quarter compared to the original estimates. Specifically, the change is expected to move marginally negative (in the region of -0.3%) or close to zero. The tourism industry is involved with 16% in GDP and employs more than 660,000 people. According to McKinzey, the contribution of tourism in 2021 may reach 21% of GDP and is going to employ more than 1 million workers.
 
The tourist arrivals in 2013 reached 17.9 million, while if guests from cruise had calculated the total arrivals will had exceeded 20.1 million. This year, foreign tourist arrivals will exceed 19 million, while visitors cruise will exceed 21.2 million.
 
Given the downward revision of the arrivals from Russia and Ukraine, because of the known problems in the two countries, the positive developments in terms of arrivals and receipts in Greece demonstrate the robustness and the dynamic of the tourist product in foreign markets this season.
 
Based on available data from SETE for seven months, the number of air arrivals from abroad in Athens increased by 31% reaching 1.88 million and as shown it will surpass the target of 750,000 of additional arrivals for the full year.
 
The highest increases were recorded in the first seven months at airports in Kalamata, Mykonos, Santorinini, Chania. In absolute numbers  the most foreign arrivals were at the airports of Heraklion (1.42 m.), Rhodes (1.07 m.), Thessaloniki (893.785) and Chania (599.225).

Kathimerini