Athens, Sep 10 (TIWN) Tourism in Greece, a vital pillar of the country's economy, is on track to yield record high revenues this year, exceeding pre-Covid levels, according to officials.

– GDP to continue its strong rise in the second and third quarters of the year and approach levels significantly higher than the average of the European Union (EU-27) – A boost to state coffers, allowing the Greek government to offer additional support measures for households and businesses against rising prices due to the energy crisis.  With international arrivals at Greek airports increasing by around 200 percent during the first seven months of the year compared to the same time in 2021, passenger traffic to Greece also increased in July and August.  According to Alpha Bank, travel receipts increased state revenue during the first half of 2022, increasing it by 18.5 percent to 41.8 billion euros from 35.3 billion euros during the same time of 2021. The increase in VAT revenue from 6.7 billion euros in the first half of 2021 to 8.4 billion euros is also regarded as substantial.