Greece expects tourism record for 2017
A record number of tourist visitors in 2016 was not enough, but it did certainly do the country good. As the 2017 tourist season starts, the industry is banking on an even better year.The tourist season in the old harbour of Skopelos island off Greece’s eastern coast is starting, as it often does, in a leisurely fashion. Visitors can choose a taverna and then take their pick of the free seats in the sun to watch fishing boats rock gently on the water and be served their tzatziki by smiling waiters. The same scene will look very different in just a few weeks’ time, when the tidal wave of tourists arrives, the restaurants fill up and the staff have to rush from one impatient table to the next. The more, the better, say the people offering rooms, drinks, food, massages, trinkets, three-week tattoos and a myriad of other goods and services. They hope for the crowds and the tourist dollars they bring as a antidote to the financial crisis and years of austerity budgets from the government. They know it will take more than just one excellent year to be get back on track. After setting the new record of 27.5 million guests in 2016, Greece this year expects up to 30 million visitors. “We’ll see. Siga, siga (take it easy),” Rigas Gripiotis says. He does not want to jinx it, but the grin on the young cook’s face betrays optimism. “Skopelos is not Mykonos or Santorini, where there is always a lot going on,” he says, explaining his reservations. But many tourists prefer the quieter surroundings of the Sporades islands, and Rigas and his three brothers admit to hoping for a super summer after investing in a facelift for their waterfront taverna.