Greek Tourism Revenues Recover in September After Summer Declines

Tourism revenues bounced back in September following decreases in July and August, according to the latest Bank of Greece data.

In September 2024, travel receipts reached 3.5 billion euros, up by 260 million euros or 7.9 percent compared to the same month in 2023. Non-resident traveler arrivals also increased by 6.6 percent year-on-year in September, marking a positive turn after two challenging months.

During the summer, travel receipts fell in both July and August. In July, despite a 4.1 percent rise in arrivals, revenues dropped by 4.2 percent, with the average spending per visitor declining from 668 euros to 608 euros, reflecting a 9.1 percent reduction year-on-year. Similarly, August saw a 1.6 percent decline in revenues despite a modest 3.3 percent increase in arrivals, influenced by inflation and changing travel behaviors.

For the nine months from January to September 2024, total travel receipts reached some 18.8 billion euros, a 4.1 percent increase from 18 billion euros in the same period of 2023. Non-resident arrivals during this period rose by 9.3 percent, highlighting strong overall demand despite the summer setbacks.

Industry insiders say these figures underscore a resilient tourism sector in Greece, showing signs of recovery as the peak summer season transitions into autumn.

It should be mentioned that Greece is among the top 10 European destinations that travelers plan to visit this autumn and winter (between October 2024 and March 2025), according to the latest report from the European Travel Commission (ETC).