The ongoing fallout from the eurozone crisis contributed to an 11-per-cent drop in visitor numbers to Greece in the first five months of 2012 compared with the same period last year, according to the Bank of Greece. Tourists have reportedly been deterred by the country’s role in the crisis, as well as its uncertain future in the euro and the two high-profile elections in May and June. In more bad news for the country’s belaboured economy, those holidaymakers who have decided to visit Greece have spent €1.48 billion â€" or 12.5-per-cent â€" less than in 2011. The figures are extremely bad news for a country that relies on tourism to make up nearly 17 per cent of its already fragile economy. British tourists made up the largest group still opting to visit Greece â€" possibly because of a wetter than expected summer in the UK â€" with almost 108,000 visitors, while numbers of German tourists, the second biggest group, fell by 24 per cent to only 65,700. This was slightly offset, however, by a rise of 28 per cent in the number of visiting Russian tourists. Despite the gloomy figures, newly appointed Greek tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni has tried to put a positive spin on things, saying that the country is ‘back in business’, and announcing that plans are afoot to cut VAT on food and drink as well as hotels and restaurants, with the hope of attracting foreign tourists back to Greece. ShareThis Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc
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