Greece has long been a favorite among international travelers, and the country is expected to have a record-breaking year when it comes to welcoming visitors from abroad.
The Greek National Tourism Organization expects 30 million international visitors this year, which means a growth rate of 7 percent and 2 million more travelers than it welcomed in 2016.
Tourism to Greece has been growing steadily over the last two years, and record-breaking numbers are sure to have a positive effect on the country's economic bottom line.
Analysts believe that the tourism industry will help boost the Greek economy by 6.9 percent and employment by 6.3 percent. The industry supports nearly 1 million jobs and is 20 percent of the country's GDP, according to estimates by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
"We are very optimistic about the upcoming tourist season and our continued momentum," said Greek tourism minister Elena Kountoura said in a statement. "Greece's incomparable natural beauty, ancient history, vibrant urban culture and spirit of 'philotimo' make it one of the world's most unique and desired year-round destinations."
Greece has worked hard to garner its reputation as a world-class destination and has been recently rewarded with accolades: Athens was recognized as one of The New York Times "52 Places to Go" in 2017 and Travel + Leisure honored the Greek Isle of Santorini with its World's Best Award for No. 1 Island Overall.
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"Greece is one of the most popular and attractive global destinations, which enhances its international appeal and continues to record high performance," said Taleb Rifai, UNWTO secretary general in a statement.
"Over the last two years, Greece has successfully addressed all challenges by implementing a new tourism policy focused on extending the travel season, promoting new thematic products, opening new markets, boosting connectivity, promoting new Greek destinations and attracting new tourism investments. The result is a major improvement of Greece's image around the world."
Greece will also benefit from better airlift with daily service by Emirates to Athens from Newark Liberty International Airport and better connections to destinations such as Kos, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu and more within Europe.
The Greek National Tourism Organization intends to keep up its momentum by improving air and land access, as well as developing travel segments such as luxury offerings, religious travel, cruising and more.
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