Greece Sees Nearly 18 Million Visitors in First Half of 2024, but Tourist Spending Declines

Greece welcomed nearly 18 million international visitors from January to July 2024, totaling 17,982,600 arrivals, according to recent data from the Bank of Greece.

This influx contributed to an increase in travel receipts, which rose by €577.5 million, or 5.6%, reaching a total of €10.953 billion. Despite the rise in tourist numbers, the average spending per trip saw a decline of 5.7%, dropping from €618.9 to €583.9.

In July alone, the number of inbound travelers increased by 4.1% compared to the previous year, yet spending among tourists fell, resulting in a 4.2% decrease in travel receipts. The average expenditure for non-residents in Greece dropped significantly by 9.1%, from €668 in July 2023 to €608 in July 2024. While receipts from key eurozone markets such as Germany, France, and Italy experienced a downturn, spending from the UK rose, although receipts from the US also declined.

Over the first seven months, travel traffic through airports grew by 12%, and road border station traffic increased by 9.9%. Germany and the UK were among the top source markets contributing to the surge in arrivals, with German visitors rising by 13.2% to 2.605 million, and UK travelers increasing by 8.1% to 2.266 million. France and Italy also saw notable gains, with arrivals from France up by 5.2% to 1.065 million, and Italy reporting a 13.8% increase, totaling 990,700 travelers. Additionally, arrivals from the United States rose by 6.9%, reaching 788,600 travelers.

(Source: GTP)