15 February 2010 | The number of tourists in Greek resorts will increase in 2010, but the revenue from tourism will continue to fall, according to a prediction by the Institute for Touristic Research and Forecasts (ITEP), cited by the www.homesgofast.com website.

The publication pointed out that tourism, as a key sector of the Greek economy, accounts for about 20 per cent of the country’s GDP. That is why one of the main goals of the government is to stabilize the tourism sector, which has not undergone a crisis for 16 years.

According to the ITEP report, the number of tourists to Greece this year will increase by 2 to 3 per cent, but at the same time the income from them will undoubtedly continue on the decreasing trend that started in 2008.

For ten months of 2009, the number of tourists to Greek resorts fell by 7.8 per cent compared with the same period in the previopus year. Athens and the islands of Mykonos and Santorini were the worst hit by the crisis.

Between January and November of 2009, the income from tourism fell by 11.7 per cent, a drop that has affected the hotel business the most.

Greece, according to the publication, is a favoured holiday destination for Americans and Western European. The number of tourists that visit the country per year is about 15 million.

Their numbers, according to the UN World Tourism Organization, the worldwide tourist flow will grow by 2 to 3 per cent in 2010. In spite of that, the ITEP report noted, European resorts should not count on a quick recovery.

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