A relevant Greek minister this week cautioned against over-optimistic expectations in terms of Russian tourist arrivals to Greece this season.
Alternate FM Nikos Xydakis pointed to a continuing economic downturn in Russia and a weakening ruble to urge for a more realistic assessment of the Russian market. Over the past years the Russian market has been touted as a “panacea” for whatever ebbs in the tourist flow from traditional markets.
According to Russian analysts, the number of Russians traveling abroad this year will decrease by 15 to 30 percent, with roughly the same percentage expected as an increase for destinations such as Sochi and the Crimea.
Xydakis said previous forecasts of 1.5 million Russian tourists in Greece for 2016 appear extremely ambitious, with a figure of no more than 800,000 a more realistic target. Nevertheless, that figure alone means a 50-percent increase from 2015.
According to the Greek foreign ministry, delays in issuing tourist visas to Russian nationals have been overcome.
