Greece Welcomes Over 27.7 Million International Arrivals in First Eight Months of 2024

Athens International Airport.

Greece recorded more than 27.7 million international arrivals between January and August 2024, encompassing both air and road arrivals, representing a nearly 10 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, when 25.2 million international arrivals were registered.

According to the latest statistical bulletin from INSETE, the research institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), international arrivals at Greek airports reached approximately 18.9 million in the January-August period, reflecting an 8 percent rise over 2023.

Athens International Airport (AIA)) welcomed 5.5 million international arrivals during this time, a 13.3 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Greece’s regional airports also experienced growth, with a 6 percent increase in the first eight months of 2024, registering 13.4 million international arrivals.

At a regional level, the largest increases in arrivals were recorded in the Peloponnese (up 12 percent), the islands of the Dodecanese (up 10.6 percent), and Crete (up 6.3 percent).

In contrast, the islands of the Cyclades saw a slight decline in international arrivals, down by 1 percent compared to 2023, with a total of 1 million arrivals—10,000 fewer than in the January-August period of the previous year.

Road arrivals: A success story

Greece’s road arrivals in 2024 are poised to set a new record, according to INSETE’s data.

From January to August 2024, road arrivals reached 8.8 million, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 8.6 million international arrivals recorded in 2019.

The busiest entry points were Promahonas on the Bulgarian border and Evzoni on the North Macedonian border, which registered 2.3 million and 1.9 million vehicle entries, respectively, since the beginning of the year.

However, the most notable increase in arrivals was seen at the Kyprinos checkpoint on the Greek-Turkish border, where 149,000 vehicle entries were recorded—98,000 more than in the same period of 2023, representing a remarkable 190.9 percent surge.

Tourism revenue

In terms of travel receipts, INSETE data for the January-July period revealed that Greece’s tourism revenue increased by 5.6 percent, reaching 10.953 billion euros, compared to 10.375 billion euros in 2023.