Stournaras Lauds Tourism Sector

The minister stressed that over the past decade tourism is involved directly and indirectly in about 16 percent of GDP and employs 19 percent of the country's workforce. He added that tourism's net revenues cover a third of the deficit of the country's trade balance, a role that is considerably important particularly in the present period.

Mr. Stournaras noted that tourist arrivals are expected to exceed 17 million for 2013, while over the January-August eight-month period incoming travel movement increased by 14.7%, while net tourism revenues increased by about 18 percent.

Greece, noted the minister, in 2013 ranked 32nd out of 140 countries as regards competitiveness of the tourism sector, but third as regards tourism infrastructures, behind Austria and Italy.