Greece closed 2025 with new tourism records, confirming the sector’s leading role in the national economy and its steadily rising trajectory.
According to data from the Bank of Greece, tourism revenues reached €23.6 billion in 2025, marking a 9.4% increase compared with 2024. Foreign visitor arrivals climbed to nearly 38 million, posting a 5.6% rise year-on-year.
The figures reflect strong international demand for Greece and a 3.8% increase in average spending per trip, which significantly boosted total receipts. Key European markets and the United States drove growth, strengthening the travel balance and offering substantial support to public finances.
Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni described 2025 as the third consecutive record-breaking year in a statement to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
“The 2025 data confirm the steady upward course of Greek tourism,” she said, highlighting that revenue growth outpaced the rise in arrivals, underscoring the continuous upgrade in the quality of Greece’s tourism offering.
Kefalogianni also pointed to increased travel activity and higher revenues during shoulder and winter months, stressing that Greece has evolved into a year-round destination. She added that rising receipts from the US market and expanding direct flight connections further strengthened performance.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s focus on sustainable and qualitative tourism development, aiming to protect Greece’s natural and cultural assets while ensuring long-term destination viability. She said the ministry prioritizes diversification of the tourism product, expansion into emerging markets such as East Asia, India and the Middle East, and investment in workforce training and tourism education.
Revenue and arrivals surge
Travel receipts from EU-27 residents rose 6.1% to €12.7 billion, while revenues from non-EU countries jumped 14.7% to €9.89 billion.
Receipts from Germany increased 2.2% to €3.78 billion, France rose 5.9% to €1.33 billion and Italy climbed 5.1% to €1.29 billion. Revenues from the United Kingdom surged 18.5% to €3.74 billion, while US receipts grew 8.5% to €1.72 billion. Receipts from Russia stood at €23.8 million.
Inbound travel traffic increased by 5.6% to 37.98 million visitors in 2025. Airport arrivals rose 5.6%, while road border crossings increased 6.9%.
Travel from EU-27 countries reached 22.4 million visitors, up 2.8%, while arrivals from non-EU countries climbed 10% to 15.57 million.
Germany recorded a 10.2% increase in visitors to 5.95 million, Italy rose 8.6% to 2.2 million and the United Kingdom grew 7.6% to 4.89 million. US arrivals edged up 0.2% to 1.55 million, while arrivals from France dipped slightly by 0.5% to 1.98 million.
Travel balance posts strong surplus
Greece’s travel balance posted a surplus of €20.26 billion in 2025, compared with €18.79 billion in 2024. Travel receipts rose by €2.03 billion, while travel payments increased by €565.5 million to €3.37 billion.
Net receipts from travel services offset 59.9% of the goods trade deficit and accounted for 89% of total net services receipts, reinforcing tourism’s role as a central pillar of economic growth across the country.
