In Greece there was an influx of Russian tourists

The number of Russian tourists to Greece in the period from January to May 2016 almost doubled compared to last year. According to the Bank of Greece, in the first 5 months of 2016, 83 thousand Russian tourists visited Greece, showing an increase of 47.6% compared to the same period in 2015.

Spending Russians this year amounted to 54 million euros, which is 8.7% higher than the same period last year.

In May, according to the report of the Bank of Greece, the growth of inbound flow from Russia amounted to 18.9% (42,000 people). Income from Russian tourists in May amounted to 30 million euros (+8.3%).

In general, Greece is experiencing a decline in tourist flow. The total number of foreign tourists visiting Greece in the first 5 months of 2016 decreased by 1.3%, amounting to 4.475 million people (compared to 4.533 million tourists a year earlier).

According to experts, the decrease in tourist flow occurred due to a decrease in the number of tourists from EU countries. For example, the number of tourists from France decreased by 11.2%, while the number of tourists from the United States grew by 25.9%, reaching 213,000 people.