Are you looking forward to spend your summer holidays in Greece? If you are, then you made the right decision. Greece is a tourist hotspot in the Mediterranean, and it has been this way since the time when the Roman Empire annexed the country. Upon annexation, there was a rapid cultural exchange between the two civilizations, which resulted in large numbers of Roman scholars visiting the well-known centers of Greek science, art, and philosophy such as Thebes, Athens, and Corinth.
Modern tourism in Greece started to bloom between the 1960s and 70s. During these decades, there were large-scale construction projects for airports, hotels, resorts, condominiums, convention centers, museums, and other facilities. Since then, the country has seen a massive increase of tourists over the years. Major international events such as the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 were instrumental in the success of tourism in the country.
As of the present, Greece attracts more than 17.5 million tourists annually, and tourism gives off more than 15% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. People from all over the globe come to Greece for its beautiful beaches, mysterious ruins, geological sites, charming towns, and modern wonders. Many have also come to learn, appreciate, and even immerse in the country’s rich and long history and culture.
Because its income is highly dependent on tourism, Greece has a wide array of facilities to house and serve tourists. Greece’s infrastructures have significantly and rapidly improved since the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Furthermore, being a world hub of global culture and history, the Greek government has begun an initiative to promote conference tourism, which is specifically targeted at the academic, business, and cultural markets.
With the enthusiastic support of local authorities and private institutions, the Greek government has offered cash grants, leasing, employment subsidies, and tax allowances to create new conference facilities and enhance the existing ones.
The initiative made Greece the 8th top country in the globe when it comes to overnight stays for conferences. According to the Tourism Satellite Accounting Research conducted by the World Travel and Tourism Council there will be an increase in revenues in business travels to Greece from USD 1.51 billion in 2001 to USD 2.69 billion in 2011.