Tourism entrepreneurs seem cautiously optimistic
With an “early start” to yet another year, the curtain seems to be rising on this year’s tourist season, confirming a trend that has become firmly established in recent years. Since the end of March, the country’s major tourist destinations have recorded an increase in visitor numbers, air links are expanding, and the majority of seasonal hotels are beginning to open earlier than usual.
This development comes as a natural follow-up to last year’s landmark year, during which Greek tourism recorded a historic high in terms of visitor arrivals and revenue, totalling over 23 billion euros.
Industry professionals agree that the main objective for 2026 is not simply to match last year’s performance, but to improve the quality of the tourism offering and extend the season. The earlier start contributes to this, bolstering destinations that, until recently, relied almost exclusively on the summer months.
Regions such as Crete, the Dodecanese and Attica are already seeing strong demand for city breaks and organised trips outside the peak season. At the same time, airlines are investing in more direct flights, mainly from markets in Central and Northern Europe, but also from the United States.
Market expectations following the record
Last year set the bar high, creating reasonably high expectations but also pressure to remain competitive. Tourism entrepreneurs appear cautiously optimistic, whilst pointing out, however, that the international environment remains fluid: geopolitical developments, inflationary pressures and rising operating costs are affecting both supply and demand.
It should be noted that, according to data from the Bank of Greece, in the eleven-month period, tourism receipts totalled 23 billion euros, up from 21.1 billion euros in the corresponding period of 2023 and 20.2 billion euros in 2022. It is worth noting that for the whole of 2024, tourism receipts had reached 21.7 billion euros, which reflects this year’s market dynamics.
The main source markets for visitors showed an upward trend. Revenue from Germany rose by 2.4%, reaching 3.7 billion euros, whilst France recorded an increase of 6.2%, with revenue reaching 1.3 billion euros. Italy also recorded a positive trend, with an increase of 4.2% and revenue of 1.26 billion euros.
The contribution from the United Kingdom was particularly strong, with revenue rising by 17% to €3.66 billion. The United States, on the other hand, recorded an 8.5% increase, with travel receipts totalling €1.66 billion.
Of particular concern, however, is the issue of human resources, as staff shortages continue to plague the industry, particularly in popular island destinations.
Shorter holidays, higher spending
Foreign tourists in Greece are now taking shorter holidays, but spending more per day, according to a new study by INSETE, which examines changes in visitor behaviour over the past decade. The study, entitled “Average Per Capita Spending of Incoming Tourists in Greece, 2015–2024”, highlights length of stay as the key factor that ultimately influences total spending per traveller.
The data, based on the Bank of Greece Border Survey and relating to incoming tourists other than cruise passengers, show that between 2015 and 2024 the average spend per night (ASP) increased by 20.6%, reaching 89.1 euros in 2024 from 73.9 euros in 2015. At the same time, however, the Average Spending per Capita (ASP) recorded a marginal decrease of 1.2%, falling from 579.6 euros to 572.8 euros, a development attributed exclusively to the decrease in the Average Length of Stay.
In particular, the average length of stay for foreign visitors fell by 1.4 nights over the decade, from 7.8 nights in 2015 to 6.4 nights in 2024. As the study points out, the rise in daily holiday costs either leads travellers to shorten the duration of their holidays in order to keep overall costs down, or reflects a shift in demand towards short-term trips, such as city breaks, which are steadily gaining ground over traditional summer holidays. During the pandemic period (2020–2021), despite the sharp decline in arrivals, all indicators showed an upward trend. The average length of stay rose to 8.9 nights in 2021, daily spend increased to 78.6 euros and average spend per capita jumped to 702.4 euros, representing an increase of 24.5%. This development is attributed to the successful reopening of the Greek tourism market and the strong sense of security fostered internationally thanks to the effective management of the health crisis.
From 2022 onwards, as travel returned to normal, pre-pandemic trends gradually resumed. The average length of stay fell again, reaching 6.4 nights in 2024. Despite the increase in daily spending to 89.1 euros, average spending per capita fell by 18.5% compared with 2021.
According to INSETE, the main reasons for this decline are the change in the mix of source markets, with a reduction in the share of traditional high-spending markets and a rise in the importance of neighbouring Balkan and Eastern European countries, the increased popularity of city breaks compared to multi-day summer holidays, as well as inflationary pressures, which are prompting households to make more moderate choices regarding the length of their holidays.
Source: cretalive.gr