Russian tourists to Greece are expected to increase in 2017, Konstantinos Gambaeridis, founding member of the cultural centre "Russian House" and director of St. Petersburg governor, said in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency's radio station Praktoreio 104.9 FM.

The number of Russian travelers to Greece and the resultant spending has given the Greek economy a much-needed boost with arrivals up by 47.6 percent at 83,000 and spending increased by 8.7 percent or 54 million euros in the first five months of the year, according to data released by the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR).

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Greece could welcome three million Russian tourists this year if the problem of delays in visa issuance is solved.