Tourists pose for a photo in front of statues of philosophers Socrates and Confucius at the ancient Agora of Athens in Athens, Greece, on Aug. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Greek tourism revenue surged by 12.2 percent in the first half of 2024 year-on-year to reach 6.921 billion euros (7.75 billion U.S. dollars), according to recent data from the Bank of Greece.

The revenue growth was driven by a 15.5-percent increase in inbound tourist arrivals despite a 3.1 percent decline in average expenditure per trip.

Germany led by contributing over 1.2 billion euros of tourism revenue, followed by the United Kingdom at just over 1 billion euros and the United States with 540 million euros, according to the report.

In June alone, travel proceeds grew by 7.7 percent year-on-year, totaling 3.1 billion euros, due to an 8.8-percent rise in inbound traveler numbers.

In June, Greece recorded the highest revenue from British tourists, with income from the UK rising by 42.5 percent to 608.9 million euros. Meanwhile, earnings from France increased by 1.0 percent to 163.9 million euros and from Italy grew by 12.9 percent to 144.9 million euros.

Greece's strong performance in tourism in the first half of 2024 signals a positive trend for the country's economy, which relies heavily on tourism as a key driver of growth. The increase in inbound tourist arrivals and revenue highlights Greece's enduring appeal as a travel destination, particularly among European and American tourists.

According to the Bank of Greece, visitor arrivals to Greece jumped 120 percent from 2019 to 2023. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars)