Greece Welcomes 35 Million Tourists in Jan-Nov 2024, Tourism Revenues Over €21 Billion

Greece’s tourism sector has experienced a notable surge in 2024, with 35.069 million international visitors contributing to a record 21.27 billion euros in tourism revenues.

According to the latest data from the Bank of Greece (BoG), the travel balance recorded a surplus of 18.768 billion euros for the period from January to November 2024, reflecting a 4.9 percent increase in travel receipts over the previous year.

Despite a slight decrease in average expenditure per trip, down 5.4 percent, the significant rise in arrivals by 9.7 percent has driven the increase in travel receipts.

Source: Bank of Greece

The EU-27 countries were the primary source of this growth, with receipts from these markets rising by 6.3 percent, reaching 11.714 billion euros. Additionally, revenues from travelers outside the EU increased by 0.5 percent, totaling 8.454 billion euros.

Revenue distribution across key markets

The data highlights the pivotal role of German and British tourists in Greece’s tourism economy. Receipts from Germany increased by 3.5 percent, reaching 3.646 billion euros, while receipts from the UK dropped slightly by 3.9 percent, totaling 3.145 billion euros.

Source: Bank of Greece

Other notable markets included Italy, which saw an impressive 13 percent increase in receipts to 1.207 billion euros, and the United States, which experienced a 13.3 percent rise to 1.528 billion euros. On the other hand, receipts from France saw a decline of 11.7 percent, reaching 1.246 billion euros, and receipts from Russia plummeted by 53.3 percent.

Travel traffic continues to rise, Led by Germany

Tourist arrivals in Greece showed a robust increase, with travel traffic climbing by 9.7 percent, compared to 2023. A total of 35.069 million tourists visited the country in the 11 months of 2024, up from 31.97 million during the same period in 2023. Travel traffic through airports saw a notable 10.2 percent rise, while border crossings by road also grew by 9.6 percent.

Germany was a standout performer, contributing to the highest increase in travel traffic, up 13.8 percent to 5.329 million travelers. Italy also experienced solid growth in arrivals, with a 9.8 percent increase, totaling 1.994 million travelers. In contrast, UK arrivals fell by 1.1 percent, totaling 4.492 million visitors, while US arrivals rose by 8.1 percent, reaching 1.481 million.

Source: Bank of Greece

According to the data from BoG, 2024 is set to be a record year for Greece’s tourism sector.

With 35.069 million international arrivals and tourism revenues reaching 21.27 billion euros by November, the figures already surpass the 2023 totals, which saw over 30 million visitors and 20.6 billion euros in revenue. Last year’s strong performance signals robust growth, highlighting Greece’s ongoing appeal as a top destination in Europe and the world.