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Tourists in Greece spent 9.27% ​​more during May - August 2011 in comparison with the same period last year as shown by the Visa Europe indicator of consumer spending of inbound tourism in the Mediterranean Rim. In total, according to the company's data, consumer spending of inbound tourism in six Mediterranean countries - France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey - amounted to € 14.4 billion compared to € 13 billion in 2010. The total year on year increase during the same period was 10.08%.

British tourists in the six countries spent the highest amount. They remain the most important consumers of Mediterranean tourism. In the 2011 summer season, they spent € 2.4 billion in countries of south Europe, accounting for 16.7% of total tourist spending. They are followed by the French tourists, who contributed € 2.01 billion and U.S. visitors who spent € 1.21 billion to enjoy the European Mediterranean.

Although British visitors are the most powerful consumers of tourism, their spending fell by 0.9% compared to last year. Belgian visitors’ spending also decreased during the summer holidays and this year they spent about 0.7% less than in 2010. However, tourists from Russia recorded the strongest growth. Their spending reached € 743 million for four months, from May to August 2011, compared to € 534 million for the same months in 2010. The increase amounts to an impressive 39.2% and a 5.17% share in the seasonal travel costs. Regarding the emerging markets, tourists from Brazil noted slow but steady growth, increasing their spending from 1.63% over the course of May-August 2010 to 2.04% during the same period of 2011.

Retailers and hoteliers benefitted the most from the increased consumer spending from inbound tourism. They registered an annual increase of 10.6% and 14% respectively and the total direct benefits were € 3.58 billion for retailers and € 2.47 billion for hoteliers.

In France, inbound tourism revenue reached an average of € 4.04 billion, which is five times the amount Portugal receives from the same sector, or € 872 million. Italy recorded the highest growth in consumer spending from inbound tourism, reaching € 3.47 billion in the second quarter of 2011 compared to € 3.02 billion during the same period of 2010, or a 14.8% increase.

In Greece, all inbound tourism spending exceeded € 1.06 billion compared with € 966 million during the same period last year. Visitors from the UK spent € 185 million in the months from May to August 2011 in comparison with € 35 million in the first quarter and consumer spending jumped by 423%. The significant difference is accountable to the fact that the season in the Greek islands begins around May each year. Spending of visitors from Cyprus increased by 15.14% or over € 80 million while Russian visitors’ spending in Greece increased significantly. Compared with the first four months of the year, the summer growth was 616%, reaching € 56 million instead of the modest € 7.9 million for the period January - April 2011.