![Tourism – At 6.6 billion euros the tourism receipts of the 8 months of 2021 – At 50% of 2019](https://www.ot.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/tourism.png)
Travel receipts in the period January-August 2021 were more than double compared to the corresponding period of 2020, however, compared to 2019 – that is, the last year of “normality” as we knew it – they are 50% behind.
More specifically, travel receipts in the 8 months of this year amounted to 6.58 billion euros compared to 13.22 billion euros in the corresponding period of 2019 and 2.79 billion euros in 2020.
August 2021 lagged behind August 2019
Regarding August, based on the data of the Bank of Greece from the balance of payments for the period January-August 2021, the tourist receipts of August amounted to 3.11 billion euros, compared to 4.1 billion euros of 2019 and just 1.38 billion euros in August 2020.
79.2% increase in arrivals
Arrivals of non-resident travelers increased by 79.2% compared to the eight months of 2020, as the tourist traffic started from the middle to the end of May this year due to the measures against Covid-19.
Positive signs for the month of November as well
Summer may be over, but Greek tourist destinations are still popular. According to the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Vassilis Kikilias, for the month of September, the hotel occupancy moved to the level of 65%, while for some destinations, such as Rhodes and Crete, the data are still positive and for the month of November, as well.
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