According to data released by the Statistical Service of FYROM, an increase of Greek tourists was recorded in December 2013. As reported, most of FYROM’s foreign visitors were Greeks.
Specifically, the majority of foreign tourists in December 2013 came from Greece (3,003 tourists, 7,427 overnight stays), Bulgaria (2,617 tourists, 5,299 overnight stays), Serbia (2,370 tourists, 4,523 overnight stays), Turkey (1,907 tourists, 3213 overnight stays) and Albania (1,868 tourists, 3,657 overnight stays).
The percentage of Greek visitors reached 19.4% and their overnight stays, 18.1%. The number of foreign and local tourists in December 2013, rose by 7.3% (33,679) compared with the same period in 2012, while overnight stays increased by 9.1% (69,024).
Skopje, capital of FYROM was the most popular city with a total of 10,651 tourists, of which 1,986 were domestic visitors and 8,665 foreign tourists.
During the crisis the majority of Greeks can’t afford holidays on the Greek islands or Chalkidiki. That is why they choose to visit the neighboring FYROM, as it is a cheap destination that offers visitors luxurious services such as casinos and spas for a fraction of the cost.