They also suggested that the encouraging results were linked to the reduction of VAT for hotels and landing fees for aircraft at airports, with the exception of the Athens International airport, the partial lifting of restrictions for non EU-flagged vessel cruises in Greece and the discounts made by Greek hoteliers to attract visitors.

The tourism industry generates some 18 percent of GDP in Greece and accounts for one in five jobs, with a potential for further growth in 2012 and the coming years, under certain circumstances, according to Ginis and other officials of the sector.

"After all, despite the crisis, Greece has so much to offer. Athens is still unique with the Acropolis, its nice museums and the sea at a 40 minutes drive from the city centre. The natural beauty, the culture, the antiquities, the bright sunshine, the tasty food, the warm hospitality are still here across Greece,"said Ginis.

The main key to success is a better promotion of the real image of Greece against bad publicity related to the financial crisis and chronic shortcomings, he argued.

He pointed to last year's images of violent clashes between hooded anarchists and police in front of the parliament during anti-austerity protests and strikes in mass transport services in the summer that left thousands of tourists stranded in airports and ports, that caused many cancellations.

"Violence deters tourists, but I think most parties have realized by now this is not the way to proceed," noted Ginis.

According to a SETE study, tourism can provide up to 35 percent of Greek GDP within the next decade, increasing the annual revenues of the industry to over 50 billion euros (65.6 billion U.S. dollars), accounting to 40 percent of new job positions eventually.