Refugees on beaches: Fatal stab to Greek tourism

Mouaz Mohamed

Greece is currently paying the price of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s provocation against European Union countries by sending and opening borders for refugees to migrate to Europe through the gate of Athens.

The influx of refugees to Greece via Turkey would harm Athens in a number of areas, including tourism, which is one of the country’s most important economic activities, as it is visited by millions of people each year.

According to previous statements by former Greek Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura, the number of tourists to Greece reached 26 million in 2015 but has since decreased until reaching just nearly 20 million in 2019.

Tourism represents 23-27% of Greece’s GDP, according to the Association of Greek Tourist Companies in July 2018, especially as there are several archaeological sites dating back to the ancient Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, in addition to natural sites, forests and beaches.

Impact of refugees on tourism

Looking at the numbers, the year 2015 saw the most number of visitors to Greece, with 26 million tourists, but that number fell to only 20 million in 2019. Greece had witnessed the first massive influx of refugees to its shores in 2015, and by August of the same year, the number of refugees reached nearly 159,000 people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Previous figures indicate that the waves of refugees caused a decrease in the number of tourists who visited Greece over the following years, which indicates that the current flow of refugees into Greece will negatively affect tourism rates in the country and thus a large part of the economy.

A large part of Greece’s tourism relies on its Mediterranean islands, including Samos and Kos, which are currently targeted by refugees. This could push tourists to stay away from the islands, causing financial losses and a decline in visitor rates for those areas.

According a report by the London-based magazine Majalla in July 2016, tourists are avoiding these areas despite their natural beauty, especially as they have become camps to accommodate refugees. There is also a fear of terrorist acts being carried out by terrorists hidden among their ranks.

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported in 2016 that “due to the refugee crisis, the tourism sector is witnessing a sharp decrease in reservations by 90%, especially to areas located north and east of the Aegean Sea.” Compared with 2015, reservations on Samos Island decreased by 40%, the paper added, confirming that this represents a heavy burden for the country, which is already suffering from the debt crisis and its faltering financial situation.