Greece posts new tourism record in 2023 despite fires

ATHENS — Greece in 2023 posted a new record for tourism, the central bank said Wednesday, despite a prolonged heatwave and a series of destructive wildfires that necessitated thousands of evacuations.

Over 32.7 million people visited the country last year, the Bank of Greece said in releasing preliminary figures, despite the wave of wildfires around the country that left at least 26 dead.

In some areas, temperatures exceeded 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 Fahrenheit).

Tens of thousands of visitors had to be evacuated on the islands of Rhodes and Corfu in July. A month later, fires devastated a key national park near the border with Turkey.

Massive floods then struck central Greece in September.

In 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign arrivals were at a then record of 31.3 million.

Revenue also set a new milestone with nearly €20.5 billion ($22.1 billion) compared to €18.15 billion in 2019.

Compared to 2022, EU traveler flows rose 15.6 percent while non-EU arrivals were also up by 20.8 percent.

The bank will release final figures in April. — Agence France-Presse