Greece sets new record with 21.7-bln-euro tourism revenue in 2024

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ATHENS, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Greece on Thursday set a new record by collecting 21.7 billion euros ($22.64 billion) in revenues from tourism last year, partly offsetting a drop in total exports of other services and goods and higher imports.

Tourism revenues came in line with the government's forecast and broke a previous record of 20.6 billion euros in 2023, data from the country's central bank, the Bank of Greece, showed on Thursday.

Despite summer wildfires and hotter weather which have become more frequent at Europe's southernmost tip, arrivals of foreign visitors rose by an annual 9.8% last year, the central bank said. Some 36 million tourists had visited the Mediterranean country in 2023.

Tourism is a key economic driver for Greece as it accounts for more than a quarter of its economic output.

But higher tourism revenues last year only partly offset rising imports and declining exports of services and goods. As a result, the current account deficit stood at 15 billion euros in 2024, up from a deficit of 13.9 billion euros in 2023.

High seismic activity on the island of Santorini, popular for its white-washed houses and breathtaking sunsets into the Aegean Sea, in recent weeks has sparked some concerns over the upcoming tourist season.

Tens of thousands of mild quakes have been recorded off the volcanic island since late January, forcing thousands of people to flee and authorities to shut schools and ban construction activity.

No major damage has been reported on Santorini so far and activity has weakened from last week but seismologists have not ruled out a bigger quake.

Greece's tourist season traditionally kicks off in April before peaking in the summer. Greece will monitor the quakes for a few weeks before deciding on measures that will guarantee the safety of foreign visitors, Greece's tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni said on Thursday.

"It's important for us to show that we have the capacity to deal with whatever happens," she told public broadcaster ERT.

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