Xinhua Silk Road - Belt and Road Portal, China's silk road economic belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Website Xinhua Silk Road - Belt and Road Portal, China's silk road economic belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Website
Subscribe CustomBlackClose

Belt & Road Weekly Subscription Form

download_pop

Research ReportCustomBlackClose

The full edition of the report is available at Xinhua Silk Road Database. You can click the “Table of Content” to have a general understanding of it.

Click on the button below to create your account and get immediate access to thousands of articles.

Start a Free Trial

Xinhua Silk Road Database
Facility Connectivity

Greece expects more Chinese visitors with extra direct air links

March 06, 2024


Abstract : Greece is ready to welcome more Chinese visitors in 2024, with an increase in the number of direct air links between Athens and Beijing and Shanghai as of April 1.

202403068788a189d1ea4b55993419ab77b6748a_CbsbeeE007005_20240306_CBMFN0A001

Tourists visit the archaeological site of Olympia in Ancient Olympia on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Starting from April 1, the number of direct flights operated by Air China between Athens and Beijing will be increased from three to five a week for the summer season period.

ATHENS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Greece is ready to welcome more Chinese visitors in 2024, with an increase in the number of direct air links between Athens and Beijing and Shanghai as of April 1.

"The Chinese market is very important to us. It was one of the fastest-growing markets before the pandemic. We believe we can exceed the pre-pandemic level of arrivals," said the Greek National Tourism Organization's general director Sofia Lazaridou at a press conference on Tuesday.

In 2023, data from Athens International Airport (AIA) showed that tourism arrivals from China had already recovered to 90 percent of 2019 levels, said Ioanna Papadopoulou, AIA's director of communications and marketing.

202403068788a189d1ea4b55993419ab77b6748a_CbsbeeE007005_20240306_CBMFN0A002

People sunbathe along the beaches of Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, Greece, May 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Starting from April 1, the number of direct flights operated by Air China between Athens and Beijing will be increased from three to five a week for the summer season period, said Fan Heyun, general manager of Air China in Athens.

Moreover, the air carrier will start using the larger and more modern Airbus A350 aircraft, further increasing seat capacity, Fan said.

Meanwhile, the Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy to Greece Lai Bo said that on April 2, another Chinese air carrier, Juneyao Airlines, will launch a second direct route linking Athens to Shanghai.

202403068788a189d1ea4b55993419ab77b6748a_CbsbeeE007005_20240306_CBMFN0A003

Aerial photo taken on May 30, 2020 shows the view of a blue-flagged beach south of Athens, Greece. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)

Direct flights between Athens and Beijing were launched by Air China in 2017. In just two years, the air link doubled the number of Chinese arrivals at AIA from 108,613 to over 217,600 in 2019.

"AIA is China-ready. As of summer 2024, two robots will be welcoming Chinese travelers, providing information about the airport, Athens, and Greece in Chinese," Papadopoulou said.

Scan the QR code and push it to your mobile phone

Keyword: tourism Greece Chinese visitors direct air links

Write to Us belt & road login close

Do you want to be a contributor to Xinhua Silk Road and tell us your Belt & Road story? Send your articles to [email protected] and share your stories with more people.

Click on the button below to create your account and get im http://img.silkroad.news.cn/templates/silkroad/en2017te access to thousands of articles.

Start a Free Trial

Ask Us A Question belt & road login close

If you have any questions, please enter them in the box below.

Identifying code Reload

Write to Us belt & road login close

Do you want to be a contributor to Xinhua Silk Road and tell us your Belt & Road story? Send your articles to silkroadweekly@xinhua.org and share your stories with more people.

Click on the button below to create your account and get im http://img.silkroad.news.cn/templates/silkroad/en2017te access to thousands of articles.

Start a Free Trial