Greece Ranks Among Europe’s Top 5 for Overnight Stays in 2024

Photo source: Eurostat

Greece ranks among Europe’s top five countries for overnight stays in 2024, with a 3.5 percent increase from 2023 and over 152 million travelers choosing the country, according to preliminary estimates by Eurostat.

In 2024, according to the EU’s statistical authority, total overnight stays across Europe reached 2.989 billion, reflecting a 2 percent increase (53.4 million additional overnights) compared to 2023. Spain topped the list with 501 million stays, followed by France (450 million), Italy (448 million), Germany (441 million), and Greece (152.3 million).

The figures include all accommodation types — hotels, short-term rentals, and camping.

Greece’s performance breakdown

In Greece, 24.6 million overnight stays were attributed to domestic tourism, while international travelers accounted for the vast majority — 84 percent, or 127.7 million. The accommodation preferences of visitors in 2024 were as follows:

– Hotels and similar establishments: 116.3 million stays
– Short-term rentals and villas: 33.8 million stays
– Camping: 2.2 million stays

EU tourism trends

Across the EU, growth in overnight stays was primarily driven by international visitors, with a 58.7 million increase, while domestic stays saw a slight decline of 5.3 million. International travelers accounted for 48 percent of total nights, and domestic guests represented 52 percent.

By accommodation type, hotels recorded 1.9 billion nights (63 percent of the total), followed by short-term rentals with 711 million (24 percent) and campsites with 396 million (13 percent).

Regional highlights

Among EU countries, Luxembourg (+22 percent), Malta (+13 percent), and Latvia (+7 percent) saw the largest year-on-year increases. France and Belgium experienced slight declines of 1 percent each, while numbers remained stable in Sweden, Finland, and Italy.

European tourism record in 2024

Preliminary estimates suggest a record year for European tourism, with nearly 3 billion nights spent in tourist accommodations across the EU, marking a 1.8 percent increase (+53 million nights) compared to 2023.

Tourism in 2024 was approximately 50 percent higher than 15 years ago (from 2 billion nights in 2009 to 3 billion in 2024) and 4 percent above pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This highlights the sustained demand for travel in the post-Covid-19 era, according to industry insiders.