Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Spending by visitors to Greece in the first 11 months of 2011 was 9.7 percent higher than a year earlier as the number of tourists increased.

Tourism receipts from January to November reached 10.4 billion euros ($13.5 billion), up from 9.5 billion euros in the comparable period of 2010, according to an e-mailed statement from the Bank of Greece. Visitors increased 9.6 percent.

Revenue in November was 185 million euros, 12.5 percent less than in the same month a year earlier, according to the statement.

Tourism accounts for about 16 percent of Greece’s gross domestic product, according to the London-based World Travel and Tourism Council.

--Editor: Tim Farrand

To contact the reporter on this story: Marcus Bensasson in Athens at mbensasson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Craig Stirling at cstirling1@bloomberg.net