Greece welcomes 1.1 million tourists in January as spending surges 19.1% Greek City Times

Nearly 1.1 million international visitors travelled to Greece in January 2026, with new data from the Bank of Greece highlighting a strong start to the year for the country’s tourism sector.

Inbound travel rose by 33.3% year-on-year, while average spending per trip increased by 19.1%, driving a sharp rise in tourism revenue.

Strong rise in travel receipts

Total travel receipts climbed by 58.4%, reaching €473.3 million, compared to €298.7 million in January 2025.

• Revenue from EU-27 countries rose by 55.6% to €224.3 million
• Receipts from non-EU countries jumped by 61.8% to €246.7 million

Within the eurozone:

• Germany saw a 9.5% decline (€36.9 million)
• France increased by 23.6% (€11.8 million)
• Italy rose by 38.6% (€28.8 million)

Outside the EU:

• United Kingdom receipts surged 138.4% to €54 million
• United States spending increased 30.7% to €64.9 million

Travel balance strengthens

Travel payments also increased by 15.1% to €239.3 million. However, the travel balance posted a surplus of €234 million, up significantly from €90.8 million a year earlier — an increase of €143.1 million.

Net receipts from travel services offset 8.3% of the goods deficit and contributed 71.3% of total net services receipts, underlining tourism’s key role in Greece’s economy.

Visitor numbers jump across the board

Inbound travel reached 1,094,900 visitors, marking a 33.3% increase compared to January 2025.

• Air arrivals rose by 12%
• Road arrivals surged by 87.4%

Growth came from:

• EU-27 countries: +44.6%
• Non-EU countries: +23.6%

From key markets:

• Germany: down 6.0% (89,300 visitors)
• France: down 6.9% (21,700 visitors)
• Italy: up 5.2% (48,100 visitors)
• United Kingdom: down 14.5% (65,100 visitors)
• United States: up 37.7% (66,700 visitors)

A strong start to 2026

The sharp increase in both arrivals and spending signals a robust start to Greece’s 2026 tourism season, with higher-value travel helping boost overall revenues despite mixed performance across individual markets.