Until now statistics show that charter flights during the high season, which have been reserved for this year are more than last year. The airline companies said that his year they will operate 4% more flights.
The increase with 4% is the percentage, which comes out after comparing the increase of flights with destinations to Hania (9%) and Iraklio (4%) on Crete, which are one of the most important destinations for Greek tourism, as well as Kavala, Preveza, Volos and Kerkira Island (+3%) and the drop in flights to Kos (-13%), Santorini (-2%), Limnos (-10%), Mitilini and Hios (-4%).
The result, which makes up the statistics shows that there is a drop in reservations to islands in the Aegean and in Crete the interest is the same as before. The prognosis shows that this year there will be more tourists on islands in the Ionian Sea.
Reservation, which are made by the airline companies indicate not only the activity of the airlines but also the number of tourists. 8 million foreign tourists come to Greece on charter flights – almost half if the annual number of tourists.
During 2007 there were 17.5 million tourists in Greece – tourists and immigrants, out of which 12 million are the ones who came on an airplane, 4.3 million entered the country with a car, and 1 million by sea.
2.5 million British, 2 million German and 1 million Italian tourists have visited Greece by plane. 2 million tourists visited the Cretan capital Iraklio, 1.4 million preferred to go to Rhodes Island, 850 000 spent their vacation on Corfu Island, 700 000 visited Hania and Kos, and 200 000 enjoyed the romantic island Santorini.