Attica: Greece’s Most Visited Region in 2023  

Photo source: Athens – Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association

The wider Athens and Attica was the most visited region in Greece in 2023 accounting for 7,888.7 thousand visits, according to the final tourism data for 2023 released by the Bank of Greece (BoG).

The majority (83.9 percent) of arrivals to Greece last year were concentrated in five of Greece’s 13 regions: Attica, the South Aegean (6,960.7 thousand), Central Macedonia (6,565.9 thousand), Crete (5,521.7 thousand), and the Ionian Islands (3,377.9 thousand).

The remaining eight regions accounted for 5,820.6 thousand visits in total and 1,868.6 million euros in revenues.

Source: Bank of Greece

The same five regions accounted for the bulk (90.5 percent) of travel receipts with the South Aegean collecting 5,340.8 million euros, followed by Crete and 5,196.3 million euros, Attica (3,786.9 million euros), the Ionian Islands (2,038.8 million euros), and Central Macedonia (1,514.8 million euros).

Attica is the largest of Greece’s 13 regions and includes Athens, Piraeus, the Athenian Riviera and the islands of Agistri, Aegina, Poros, Hydra, and Spetses.

Source: Bank of Greece

Overall in 2023, travel receipts in Greece reached 20,593.6 million euros, up by 16.5 percent over 2022 and generated by a total of 32.7 million visitors. The number of overnight stays also rose in 2023 by 7.3 percent year-on-year.

Lastly, cruise arrivals generated 908.4 million euros in travel receipts marking an 84.1 percent year-on-year increase over 2022.

Photo source: Attica Region

The BoG report also reveals that non-residents’ tourist spend for personal reasons accounted for 94.7 percent of all receipts in 2023, up from 94.6 percent in 2022.

Broken down this percentage includes spending on leisure which accounted for 87.9 percent of all receipts up from 85.3 percent in 2022 to 18,100.8 million euros; and spending on business trips which was also up by 15.6 percent, accounting for 5.3 percent of all receipts.