Last year Greece earned more than 1 billion euros on Russian tourists, which is 42% higher than in 2012, Mr. Christos Pallis, the president of the Greek National Tourism Organisation said speaking on "Greek Forum" in Athens.

      "About 1.4 million Russians visited Greece in 2013. At that, the profit earned by Greece from Russian tourists exceeded one billion euros," Mr. Pallis said. In 2012, Greece was visited by 15.5 million foreign citizens, including 875,000 Russian tourists.

      According to him, Greece is one of three Russians’ favorite beach destinations, and local hosts do their best not to disappoint Russians. "After the crisis we make every effort to reach new heights. So, for example, visa procedure simplified significantly: many tourists get multiple Greek Schengen visas in just 48 hours after submitting the documents," Mr. Pallis added.

      Tourism development is helpful for Greece itself, as this industry provides new jobs, improves country's status and image in the world arena.