Visitors have returned to Athens, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias told RealFM in an interview on Tuesday.

“Athens suffered greatly in recent years and, in a volatile global environment, showed its potential, and a walk in downtown Athens, the historic commercial district, is enough for anyone to see that the visitors have returned,” he stated, underlining that “the fact we took the decision to start the tourism season earlier played a key role in this recovery.”

He said that “the launch of direct flights from the US on March 7 and the increase of cruises with Piraeus as a homeport brings passengers to Athens and contributes to the increase in tourist flows creating revenues for the city’s economy.”

In the same context, he announced that the German airline Condor on Tuesday resumed flights from Dusseldorf and Leipzig after almost 20 years, underscoring that “Condor’s decision to choose Athens’ airport reflects the company’s trust in the Greek capital as a destination as well as its growing momentum in the German market.”

Referring to the Tourism Ministry’s strategy, Kikilias said that “the target is for the greatest possible revenues to support the Greek family, and that’s why we are focusing on high-spending visitors from all markets, with an emphasis on the US.”

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.