Greece Tourist Arrivals Rise 6.4% in 2025, Surpassing 43 Million Visitors

• 12 May, 26

In 2025, Greece’s tourism sector continued its growth momentum. According to final data from the Bank of Greece, foreign tourist arrivals reached 43.31 million, up 6.4% from 40.69 million in 2024.

Alongside the increase in visitor numbers, tourism revenue also recorded solid growth. In 2025, Greece’s total travel receipts reached €23.63 billion, representing a 9.4% year-on-year increase. This highlights Greece’s continued appeal as one of Europe’s leading travel destinations.

Tourists Stay for Shorter Periods but Spend More

One of the most notable trends in Greece’s tourism market is that visitors are staying for shorter periods, while their daily spending continues to rise.

In 2025, average expenditure per trip reached €545.5, up 2.8% from €530.6 in 2024. At the same time, average spending per overnight stay increased to €96.6, marking a 7.7% year-on-year rise.

However, the average length of stay declined to 5.6 nights, down 4.5% from the previous year. This suggests that the next stage of growth for Greek tourism may depend not only on attracting more visitors, but also on improving the quality of stays and deepening visitor spending.

Germany and the United Kingdom Remain Key Source Markets

Germany remained the largest source market for Greece in 2025. German arrivals reached 5.95 million, representing a 10.2% year-on-year increase.

The United Kingdom ranked second, with 4.89 million visitors, up 7.6% year-on-year. Italy recorded 2.2 million arrivals, an increase of 8.6%, while France saw a slight decline of 0.5% to 1.98 million visitors. Arrivals from the United States remained broadly stable at 1.55 million.

The United Kingdom and the United States Drive Tourism Revenue Growth

In terms of tourism revenue, visitors from the 27 EU member states generated €12.69 billion, up 6.0% year-on-year. Germany contributed €3.78 billion, representing a 2.2% increase.

The UK market delivered particularly strong performance, with travel receipts reaching €3.74 billion, up 18.4% year-on-year. Revenue from U.S. visitors reached €1.74 billion, increasing 9.7%. France and Italy contributed €1.33 billion and €1.29 billion, respectively.

Leisure Travel Remains the Core Revenue Driver

By travel purpose, personal travel remained the main source of Greece’s tourism revenue. In 2025, personal travel accounted for 93.3% of total travel receipts.

Leisure travel generated €20.65 billion, up 9.8% year-on-year. Business travel reached €1.58 billion, accounting for 6.7% of total revenue and increasing 12.9%, reflecting the gradual development of Greece’s meetings, business, and city-break tourism segments.

Cruise Tourism Continues to Gain Momentum

Beyond traditional holiday travel, Greece’s cruise tourism market also posted strong growth. In 2025, cruise passenger numbers are estimated to have reached 5.61 million, up 12% year-on-year.

Piraeus remained Greece’s leading cruise hub, accounting for 49.3% of total cruise revenues and 14.9% of cruise ship arrivals. This further strengthens the role of Athens and its surrounding region as a key international tourism and transport gateway.

Athens and the South Aegean Lead Regional Performance

Regionally, the South Aegean recorded the highest tourism revenue, reaching €6.62 billion, while also registering the highest number of overnight stays at 53.12 million.

The Greater Athens region recorded the highest volume of visits, welcoming 9.71 million visitors in 2025. This shows that Athens is no longer merely a transit point for travelers heading to the islands, but is increasingly consolidating its position as a major European city-break destination.

Cre: ekathimerini