ATHENS – Greece’s expected influx of tourists in 2023, that could bust a record set before the waning COVID-19 pandemic, will includes hordes that don’t need to fly long distance, and can even drive: from Balkan neighbors.

Greece is expected to become the main destination for travelers from those countries, with number of road arrivals from these countries surging by 40 percent compared to 2022,  SchengenVisaInfo.com reported.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/greece-to-become-balkan-markets-new-destination-for-2023/

According to Tourism Media and Events, the Balkan market will mainly consist of Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia that’s expected to surge again after the easing of lockdowns and slowdowns and border openings.

Some 2.4 million visitors reached Greece by road between January-June of 2022, almost half (41.3 percent) of the four million recorded during the same period in pre-pandemic levels, which accounts for 1.7 million fewer arrivals, the report added.

Between January and November 2022, Greece welcomed 7.6 million visitors via road – 35.7 percent fewer visitors than in 2019 when 11.8 million travellers were recorded in the country, said SchengenVisaInfo.

Road Show events, which collected feedback from all three Balkan countries, found high demand for Greece in 2023 for the summer, Serbian and Romanian airlines working to add flights.

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