Greek prime minister tells Greeks to put on a happy face for summer tourists
Photo Credit: A Greek man stand in front of his grocery in the city of Thessaloniki. Flickr / George Groutas
Skift Take
Locals indeed have reason to accommodate foreigners with an influx of arrivals this summer season expected to push tourism’s GDP contribution to almost 20 percent.
The Greek prime minister, Antonis Samaras, issued an unusual appeal on Tuesday, asking his compatriots to put on their best face as the debt-choked country prepares to accept 17 million tourists – an all-time record.
Although mired in its worst economic crisis in modern times, Greece is braced for a surge in arrivals with visitors from Russia, Germany and Britain leading the revival of an industry that only last year appeared on its knees.
"We will have at least 17 million tourists this year. This development is a vote of confidence in our country. It [means]
