Athens - More than 19,000 jobs were lost in Greece's tourism sector after arrivals to the Mediterranean country dropped by nearly 10 per cent in the first six months of the year, tourism officials said Tuesday.

The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) said the country's 13 biggest airports saw a total of 3.9 million arrivals during this period, down 9.6 per cent from last year.

SETE said the decline means a loss of more than 560,000 tourists.

Despite discounts and special offers by hoteliers and positive initiatives taken by the Ministry of Tourism to promote Greece as a holiday destination, officials suggest it would be a major success if the season ends with a drop of just 10 per cent in arrivals.

The government has set aside 75 million euros to promote Greek as a tourist destination - nearly 50 per cent more than what it committed to last year.

Greece prides itself on its history as the cradle of democracy and has long used that fact along with beautiful beaches and sunshine as a major tourism drawcard.

Tourism is one of Greece's biggest earners, along with shipping. It makes up about 18 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

In 2007, the sector brought 11 billion euros (14.5 billion dollars) and 17 million visitors into the country, making Greece the 12th most popular international destination in the world, according to the World Tourism Organisation. (dpa)