Most Overnight Stays in Greece Still Concentrated in July-August

Greece is among the countries that recorded the largest percentage of overnight stays in July and August, reflecting the impact of seasonality on tourism, Eurostat said this week.

According to data for 2022, the majority of nights spent at EU destinations was recorded in August, which accounted for 18 percent of all nights spent last year (478 million nights), and in July (16 percent, 440 million).

The lowest number of nights spent at 3 percent of the total or 89 million was recorded in January and February (4 percent – 111 million).

Among the countries with the largest seasonal changes was Greece, where 43 percent of all night stays or 56 million are made in July and August.

According to Eurostat analysts, seasonality is a challenge that must be addressed. A seasonal pattern of arrivals and nights spent can lead to overcrowding and resource strain and at the same time quieter periods can lead to underused facilities and job instability.

Other countries where peak activity was concentrated in July and August were Croatia with 59 percent of all nights spent in the two months, and Bulgaria (48 percent).

Seasonally was least pronounced in Malta and Finland (both 25 percent), and Germany (26 percent).

France recorded the most successful summer season in 2022, with 827 million overnight stays in the July-August period. Italy followed with 149 million, Spain (135 million), and Germany (104 million) overnight stays.

Overall in 2022, one-third (34 percent) of all overnight stays were recorded in the two summer months: 478 million overnight stays in August or 18 percent of the total and 440 million in July or 16 percent of the total. The same two months also saw the largest number of arrivals accounting for 28 percent of the 2022 total (127 million in July and 128 million in August).

“The peak in nights spent is more pronounced than the peak in arrivals, suggesting that tourists tend to stay longer during these busier months, likely corresponding with their main holiday period. This trend heightens the demand for accommodations during the summer season,” said Eurostat analysts.