ATHENS — Tourism is once again booming in Greece following the two lean years of the pandemic, with figures topping those of 2019, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said.

Kikilias said that almost 3.5 million tourists had arrived at the country's airports during June, more than three times the figure in June 2021.

The monthly figure for the month was slightly above that for June three years ago, indicating a possible new record for this summer, as 2019 is seen as the best year to date for Greek tourism, the German News Agency (dpa) reported.

During that year, around 33 million holidaymakers visited the country, more than three times the resident population.

Kikilias said the government was pursuing its aim of extending the holiday season into December.

While not all parts of Greece were suitable for spending the winter, as the north sees snow and temperatures below zero, weather conditions remained mild on islands like Crete and in the south of the Peloponnese, Kikilias said. — Agencies