It has been two months since the launch of direct flights between China and Greece, providing many Chinese tourists with a more direct and faster journey to Greece. In fact, 2017 has been a highly significant year for the Greek tourism industry, marked not only by the opening of these direct flights but also by many other milestone developments.
According to Greek media reports, Greek Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura stated that 2017 is a milestone year for the development of Greece's tourism industry. The number of inbound tourists is expected to exceed 30 million, with a potential double-digit growth rate, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth exceeding 7%. Tourism revenue is set to rise significantly, with a notable increase in the number of tourists from Germany, France, the United States, Canada, Russia, and China.
Regarding modes of entry, air arrivals for tourism in the first eight months of 2017 increased by 6%, with over 150 new flight routes added throughout the year, and cruise ship passenger arrivals exceeding 3 million. Kountoura noted that over the past two years, the Ministry of Tourism has received 265 development applications for four-star or higher hotels and resorts, and 14 regional airports are currently undergoing or preparing for upgrades.
Greece's thriving tourism industry and open immigration policies have also attracted more foreign capital into the Greek real estate market. According to data from the Bank of Greece, foreign capital inflows for purchasing Greek properties in the first four months of this year increased by 51.7% compared to the same period last year.
The prosperity of the tourism industry not only allows for the continuous appreciation of Greek real estate, but the cost-effectiveness of investing in Greek property will also attract more immigrants and investors. For investors and immigrants, it is undeniable that the earlier the investment is made, the greater the returns will be.
As one of the popular choices for investment immigration, Greece possesses a well-established European Union education system. After obtaining permanent residency in Greece, investors' children can enjoy free education in Greek public schools. Furthermore, Greece has a comprehensive prevention and emergency system, a highly developed healthcare system, and offers various benefits for those who immigrate through investment.
Now is a time when Greece's immigration policy is relatively relaxed, the processing cycle is short and fast, and it is an optimal time for real estate investment. The island properties launched by Worldway Immigration offer a 5-year leaseback with a 7% annual return, meaning investors can recover 35% of their profit in 5 years. This is equivalent to investing only 160,000 Euros to enable a family of three generations to immigrate to Greece.
