Greece posted another strong year for tourism in 2025, with the balance of travel services reaching a surplus of €20.26 billion, according to provisional figures communicated by the Bank of Greece. The annual surplus rose from €18.79 billion in 2024, underlining the continued importance of tourism as a pillar of the country’s external accounts.
Total travel receipts climbed to €23.63 billion in 2025, an increase of 9.4% compared with the previous year. Travel payments by Greek residents abroad also rose, increasing by 20.2% to €3.37 billion. Despite higher outbound spending, net travel receipts remained a major contributor to Greece’s services balance and helped offset nearly 60% of the country’s goods trade deficit. Tourism generated almost 89% of total net services receipts during the year while representing close to 20% of the country’s total GDP.
Growth in travel income was supported by a steady rise in international arrivals and higher visitor spending. Inbound traveler numbers increased by 5.6% year over year to 37.95 million visitors, up from 36.0 million in 2024. Average expenditure per trip rose by 3.8%, reinforcing the positive revenue trend.
Visitors arriving by air continued to dominate the market, with airport arrivals increasing by 5.6%. Land border crossings also grew, rising by 6.9%, reflecting stronger regional travel demand.
Europe top 4 markets with a share of 40% of all arrivals
European markets remained the backbone of Greece’s tourism industry. Receipts from EU27 countries increased by 6.1% to €12.7 billion. Within the EU, eurozone visitors generated €9.85 billion in receipts, up 4.0%, while non-euro EU markets grew faster, rising 14.1% to €2.84 billion.
Germany retained its position as Greece’s largest tourism source market. Receipts from German visitors rose by 2.2% to €3.78 billion, supported by a 10.2% increase in arrivals to nearly six million travelers.
The United Kingdom remained one of Greece’s strongest tourism performers. Travel receipts from UK visitors surged by 18.5% to €3.74 billion, while arrivals rose by 7.6% to 4.89 million visitors. The UK ranked alongside Germany as one of the country’s most valuable tourism markets.
Italy continued to show steady expansion, with receipts up 5.1% to €1.29 billion. Italian arrivals grew by 8.6% to 2.2 million travelers, confirming the market’s consistent performance.
France delivered moderate growth, with travel receipts rising by 5.9% to €1.33 billion. French arrivals remained broadly stable, slipping slightly by 0.5% to just under two million visitors.
Long-haul and non-EU markets recorded stronger gains overall. Receipts from non-EU countries rose by 14.7% to €9.89 billion, highlighting the increasing importance of diversified source markets.
Along long-haul markets, the United States posted positive results. Travel receipts from US visitors increased by 8.5% to €1.72 billion, while arrivals edged up by 0.2% to 1.55 million travelers. American visitors continue to deliver some of the highest average spending levels among international markets.
Overall, the 2025 figures confirm tourism’s central role in the Greek economy. Rising visitor numbers and higher spending reinforce tourism as one of Greece’s most important export sectors. But it also exposes the high dependence of the country’s economy to a single activity sector.