ATHENS, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Despite the ongoing challenges, Greek officials told Xinhua on Tuesday that they expect their country's tourism sector to recover this year.

       "The data we have now are encouraging. We expect to see a good summer season. People feel the need to get away from the big problems," Angela Gerekou, president of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), said at an event held here on Tuesday.

       Greece has been commended for its management of the COVID-19 pandemic and following an initial freeze of bookings due to the Ukraine-Russia crisis, there are no cancellations for this year, she said.

       "We want to see this conflict end so we can get back to normalcy. We firmly believe that tourism will be the engine of growth again," Deputy Minister of Tourism Sofia Zacharaki said.

       The tourism industry is a traditionally strong pillar of the Greek economy, accounting for about a fifth of its gross domestic product (GDP), according to the Central Bank of Greece.

       Back in pre-pandemic year 2019, Greece registered a record 32 million tourist arrivals and 18 billion euros (19.5 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenues. Today, the sector is working hard to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

       As the China-Greece Year of Culture and Tourism is underway, the two officials said that Greece is eager to welcome more Chinese tourists again.

       "We are expecting visitors from China. We are expecting more cultural events. We are optimistic about this relationship that was established years ago," Gerekou said.

       "We look forward to seeing travelers from China. We want to see them again in Greece. We have missed them," Zacharaki added.

       Tuesday's symposium titled "Greece - The country of well-being," which focused on Greek cuisine from the ancient times until today and its connection with hospitality, was part of efforts to promote Greece as a tourism destination, the organizers said. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollars)