Tourism stakeholders in Greece have welcomed the return of American tourists after negotiating deals this year with US-based airlines for 63 direct flights a week to Athens.
Indicatively, on average, American travelers spend 2,000 dollars a week during their holidays: 25 percent on accommodation and 15 percent on accommodation.
According to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), the increasing number of direct flights from the US to Athens gave Greek tourism a significant boost this year.
In June alone, arrivals from the US increased by 50 percent compared to record year 2019, reflecting a positive upward trend. Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias has said that over 500,000 travelers from the largest American airports (New York, Newark, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington Dulles) were expected to arrive in Greece on direct flights this tourism season.
Moreover, arrivals to Greece from the US in the first half of the year increased by 745.9 percent to 324,000, according to the Bank of Greece.