ATHENS (Sputnik) – The Greek government is preparing a campaign to promote tourism on the Greek islands heavily flooded by migrants, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Tuesday.
"We are preparing a special campaign for tourism on the islands affected by refugees," Tsipras said, speaking on Star television channel.
The prime minister, speaking of the impact of refugees on the economy and tourism of the islands such as Kos, Lesbos, Samos and Chios, admitted that tour booking has reduced, but noted that it did not concern all the islands that hosted refugees.
"This year, we will have a record level in tourism," Tsipras added.
Greece is used as a gateway by hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants seeking to enter Europe.
According to the International Organization for Migration, some 102,500 refugees and migrants have arrived in Greece in 2016, most of them staying on the Greek islands.
