Industry News

Greece welcomed more than 20 million foreign visitors in the first seven months of the year, while tourism receipts jumped to 13.52 billion.

According to data released by the Bank of Greece, Greece’s travel balance recorded a surplus of 11.243 billion in January-July 2026, compared with a surplus of 10.087 billion in the same period last year.

Increase in average travel spending

Travel receipts posted double-digit growth, rising 12% to 13.518 billion, while travel payments also increased by 291.6 million, or 14.7%, to 2.275 billion.

According to the Bank of Greece, the increase in travel receipts reflected growth in both inbound travel traffic, which rose 8.6%, and average spending per trip, which increased by 2.9%.

Net receipts from travel services offset 62.1% of the goods trade deficit and accounted for 90.3% of total net services receipts.

Breakdown of tourism revenue

Travel receipts increased by 12% from the same period in 2025, reflecting a 6.9% rise in receipts from residents of EU countries, which reached 7.09 billion, and an 18.3% increase in receipts from residents of non-EU countries, which reached 5.783 billion.

More specifically, receipts from residents of euro area countries rose 11.3% to 5.884 billion, while receipts from residents of EU countries outside the euro area fell 10.4% to 1.210 billion.

German and French receipts decline, while Italian and British visitors spend more

Receipts from Germany fell 0.7% to 1.981 billion, while receipts from France declined 16.8% to 623.7 million.

By contrast, receipts from Italy rose 31.6% to 828.1 million.

Among other markets, receipts from the United Kingdom increased 23.3% to 2.092 billion, while receipts from the United States rose 7.9% to 1.063 billion.

Inbound traveller flows rise 8.6%

Inbound travel traffic also posted strong growth.

In January-July 2026, the number of inbound travellers increased 8.6% to 20.043 million, from 18.455 million in the same period of 2025.

Travel arrivals by air increased 6%, while those through road border crossings rose 17.5%.

Over the same period, arrivals from EU countries reached 11.561 million, up 8.6% from the corresponding period of 2025, while arrivals from non-EU countries increased 8.7% to 8.482 million.

Arrivals from euro area countries rose 13.2%, while those from EU countries outside the euro area declined 8.8%.

Italian arrivals up 25%

Arrivals from Germany increased 7.7% to 3.029 million, while those from France fell 5.1% to 923,200.

Travel traffic from Italy recorded a strong 24.6% increase to 1.273 million travellers.

Among other markets, arrivals from the United Kingdom rose 12.3% to 2.58 million, while those from the United States fell 8.2% to 829,900.