Indians Among the Top Target Tourists as per the Greece’s Tourism Ministry

Amid High Demand, Greece Schengen Visa Processing to Speed Up

As per the Tourism Ministry of Greece, the number of Indian travellers is only next to US travellers visiting the country, with more than 500,000 US tourists expected next year.

These numbers are also behind the immediate reinforcement of the Greek Embassy and Consular Office in New Delhi by Nikos Dendias, Greece's Minister of Foreign Affairs. The move is expected to respond to and process the high number of Greece visa applications.

One of the goals of the Tourism Ministry of Greece is to attract high spender Indian travellers to Greece. Luxury tourism, gastronomy and Greece's rich culture are among the most attractive products which have sparked interest in the Hellenic Republic.

The Ministry also stated that Indian tourists have been ranked #1 in the world when it comes to spending money on vacations. This expenditure is expected to rise by 122% in 2022, as compared to the pre-pandemic levels.

As per the World Tourism Organisation, compared to Japanese and Chinese tourists, Indian tourists spend around four times more money. Compared to the tourists from the UK and the US, Indian tourists spend 140% and 71% more, respectively.

As per Vassilis Kikilias, Greece’s Minister of Tourism, India is now being considered a great tourism market with a huge number of people interested in themed and alternative tourism. The ministry is set to attract Indian tourists and make various changes to promote Grecian tourism, including extending the tourist season and highlighting other alternative destinations in Greece to lure high spenders.

Optimistic that this move will boost the tourism sector, Greece is among the most popular European countries which are seeing a surge in foreign visitors. Despite the recent restrictions and travel ban that considerably slowed down the sector, Greece is set to welcome a large number of international tourists.