Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Wednesday that in the week from September 13 to 19, the occupancy rate at hotels and other tourism accommodation across the country reached 63%.

“Most of the tourist accommodation and especially that which is high-end on all our islands and in tourism destinations is busy, and this will continue in October and November,” the minister explained in an interview on Open TV.

“To understand the size of the demand that now exists for the country, the German airline Condor will also operate flights to Crete in November,” he added.

He also said that Greece was the top destination for French tourists in June, with an increase of 88% in the number of visitors compared to 2019 and an 18% rise in revenues for the country. “For the first time in the history of the French Republic, according to data from France’s tourism organization, Greece in July became the top destination country, even above the domestic tourism of France,” Kikilias said.

Regarding next season, the minister mentioned that Jet2, the largest tour operator in the British market, is asking to offer destinations in Greece, including Athens, from next April. “The British aspire to launch the tourism season earlier,” he underlined.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.