Are You Average?

While I'm delighted to have readers from all over the world, a large proportion of them are based in the United States. So when I hear that U.S. tourism to Greece is up, I'm always happy and hope that I've played a part in encouraging more travelers to go to Greece. The Greek Ministry of Tourism is also happy. According to data compiled by the Athens International Airport, tourists hailing from America are up a whopping 34% this past year.

Based on the number of Americans I encountered in Greece in 2007, I'd have to agree the numbers sound accurate. For the first time in years I was aware of tour groups completely made up of Americans, and I was also meeting independent travelers in greater numbers than ever before. (Special thanks to the American couple who held the doors open for me while I maneuvered my luggage into the hotel for my last night in Greece - only to discover they lived in Sonoma County, my next landfall after Greece.)

While U.S. travelers still make up only a small percentage of travelers to Greece, they tend to stay 16 days in the country and spend more than their European counterparts - possibly because U.S. travelers tend to stay at hotels and eat out two or three times a day, while many Europeans will rent a less-expensive apartment or rooms and cook some of their own meals. The vast majority of U.S. travelers came on vacation but about 10% were traveling to visit family members, and about the same number were traveling on business.

What are your reasons to travel to Greece? Here are The Top Ten Reasons People Travel to Greece