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ECONOMY
-The euro area annual inflation rate was 2.6% in July 2024, up from 2.5% in June, Eurostat said. Inflation in Greece stood at 3% last month, settling above the euro area average. The lowest annual rates were registered in Finland (0.5%), Latvia (0.8%) and Denmark (1.0%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Romania (5.8%), Belgium (5.4%) and Hungary (4.1%).
-Registered unemployment was down 6.3% in July 2024 from July 2023 and up 4.4% in comparison with June 2024, Public Employment Service (DYPA) said.
-The average poverty rate in Europe is 21% according to Eurostat, with the highest rates in Romania (32%), Bulgaria (30%), Spain (26.5%), and Greece (26.1%).
-The Overall Turnover Index in Industry (both Domestic and Non-Domestic Market) in June 2024 recorded an increase of 6.1% compared with the corresponding index of June 2023. The Overall Turnover Index in Industry in June 2023 decreased by 16.4% compared with the corresponding index in June 2022, the Hellenic Statistical Authority data showed.
CULTURE
During April 2024 compared with the corresponding month of 2023, museums recorded a 42.3% increase
in the number of visitors, of 50.6% in the number of free admission visitors and of 34.7% in their receipts, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data showed. As regards archaeological sites, in April 2024 compared with the corresponding month of 2023, an increase of 25.7% was recorded in the number of visitors, of 36.8% in the number of free admission visitors and of 19.5% in the corresponding receipts
TOURISM
-In H1 2024, travel revenues reached €6.9 billion, compared to €6.1 billion in the same period of 2023, the Bank of Greece (BoG) reported.
-Greece is the world’s 3rd olive oil tourism destination, following Spain and Italy, according to recent research by Compare the Market.
-Passenger traffic in Greece’s 39 commercial airports posted an increase of 9.5% in January-July 2024 on an annual basis, according to the provisional figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The number of air passengers between January and July 2024 totaled 42,538,219.
-The underutilized tourism potential of Natura 2000 network areas in Greece could generate up to 2 billion euros annually for the country’s tourism sector, a study conducted by Athens-based DiaNEOSIS in collaboration with government agency OFYPEKA reveals. Notable examples of Natura 2000 sites include the Samaria Gorge in Crete, the Sporades Sea Park, the Prespes Lakes, the Rodopi forests,
-Discover Airlines, Lufthansa Group’s leisure airline, has announced the addition of the Ionian island of Kefalonia and the Peloponnese town of Kalamata to its program from Frankfurt for the summer of 2025.
-Nearly 18,000 adults and children paid a visit to 18 lighthouses in Greece that were opened to the public on August 18, World Lighthouse Day, AMNA reported.
