EUR 21.6 billion reached tourist revenue in 2024 with an increase of 4.8%

EUR 21.6 billion reached tourist revenue in 2024 with a increase of 4.8% while 40.6 million tourists visited Greece plus 12.8% according to the TEG definitive data.

Specifically, according to the final data, in 2024 the surplus of the travel balance amounted to EUR 18,787.0 million, against a surplus of EUR 18,162.0 million in 2023, up 3.4% (Chart 1). This development is due to the highest increase in travel receipts (by EUR 998.7 million or 4.8%) than that of travel payments (by EUR 373.6 million or EUR 15.4%). The rise in travel receipts in 2024 versus 2023 was the result of a 12.8% increase in incoming non -resident travelers (Table 1), as well as average expenditure per night by 2.5 euros or 2.9% (2024: 89.7 euros, 2023: 87.2 euros).

More specifically, averaged 7.0% was reduced by average costs per trip (2024: 530.6 euros, 2023: 570.7 euros), as well as the average stay of stay, which fell by 9.6% and stood at 5.9 nights (2023: 6.5 nights). The total number of overnight stays (Table 5) in 2024 increased by 1.9% and stood at 240,816.6 mm overnights (2023: 236.271.2 mm overnights).

Travel receipts

Travel receipts in 2024 stood at EUR 21,592.3 million, up 4.8% compared to 2023. This development is due to a rise in 7.1% of the receipts from EU residents, which was € 11,966.1 million, representing EUR 55%, as well as € 55%, as well as € 55. by 0.6% of the receipts by residents of other countries, which stood at EUR 8,625.6 million

(Table 2 and Chart 2).

More specifically, receipts from residents of the euro area countries stood at € 9,474.3 million in 2024, up 4.5% over the previous year, while revenue from residents of EU countries outside the euro zone stood at EUR 2,491.8 million, increased by 18.4%.

Regarding the most important countries of origin of travelers, receipts from Germany rose by 3.7% and stood at € 3,702.0 million, while receipts from France decreased by 11.6% and stood at € 1,259.6 million. Italy increased by 13.6%, which stood at € 1,225.5 million. Of the other countries, 15.3% were reinforced by US revenue, which stood at € 1,583.8 million, while revenue from the United Kingdom decreased by 4.1% and stood at € 3,159.8 million. Finally, the receipts from Russia decreased by 51.5% and stood at € 15.7 million.

Travel Receipts by Travel Reason

Regarding the distribution of non -resident travel expenditure in Greece by travel ratio (Table 3 and Figure 3), the bulk of the receipts is related to travel for personal reasons, whose share of all travel receipts stood at 93.5% in 2024, compared to 94.7% in 20%. Within this category, the largest share of all receipts have leisure trips (2024: 87.1%, 2023: 87.9%). Recreational travel receipts increased by 3.9% compared to the previous year and stood at EUR 18,803.3 million. Travel receipts to visit to relatives/family increased by 5.3%, but their share of all travel receipts stood at 4.4%, as in 2023. Decrees by 17.2%by travel proceeds for health reasons, which was € 30.6 million. Finally, travel receipts for business reasons rose by 27.3%, with their participation in total travel receipts stood at 6.5%(2023: 5.3%).

Incoming travel traffic

As mentioned above, the incoming travel traffic in 2024 increased by 12.8% and stood at 40,693.9 thousand travelers, compared to 36.082.7 thousand travelers in 2023. In particular, airport travel increased by 10.7% and through road stations by 8.9%. EU countries contributed 27 with a 53.5% participation and other countries with 34.8%. In 2024, travel traffic from EU countries 27 increased by 11.0% compared to 2023. This development is both due to 12.2% of travel traffic from the euro zone countries, which stood at 14,491.0 thousand travelers and the increase of 8.6% from EU countries 27 outside the EU countries outside the EU. in 7,304.1 thousand travelers. In particular, traveling by 13.4% was the travel traffic from Germany, which stood at 5,402.3 thousand travelers, as well as Italy by 10.0%, which stood at 2,025.9 thousand travelers. An increase of 8.8% was also recorded in the travel traffic from France, which stood at 1,992.4 thousand travelers.

Finally, travel traffic from other countries increased by 8.1% and stood at 14,156.3 thousand travelers. Specifically, travel by the US, which stood at 1,547.4 thousand travelers, rose 10.0%. Travel traffic from the United Kingdom decreased by 1.0% and stood at 4,545.5 thousand travelers, while Russia decreased by 54.9% to 16.1 mm travelers (Table 4 and Figure 4). Overnight

Overnights of non -resident travelers in Greece stood at 240,816.6 mm in 2024, compared to 236,271.2 mm in 2023, up 1.9%. This is due to the increase in overnight stays of EU residents by 4.9%, as the number of overnight stays of other countries decreased by 3.9%. The increase in overnight stays of EU residents 27 reflects the increase in overnight stays from 3.7%of euro zone countries, as well as overnight stays from EU countries 27 outside the euro zone by 9.6%. Overnights from Germany increased by 7.4% compared to 2023, while these from France decreased by 4.4%. Overnights declined by Italy. Of the other countries, overnight stays from the United Kingdom declined by 6.4%, while those from the US by 1.4%. Finally, overnight stays from Russia decreased by 69.4% (Table 5 and Figure 5).

Cruises

The Bank of Greece has been conducting a complementary survey in the cruise sector since 2012, with the aim of enriching the statistics derived from border research. Following the now established methodology, details of 16 Greek ports were collected for 2024, which covered 86.3% of total cruise ship arrivals in the country.

In 2024, total cruise passengers increased by 22.4% compared to 2023 and amounted to EUR 1,112.2 million, of which € 111.5 million are included in the border survey recorded, with travelers who departed from Greece (Last Port), while € 1,000 million. In additional survey (Tables 6 and 7).

Chart 6 shows the distribution of total cruise receipts per port. Piraeus is the main port in terms of cruise receipts, with 48.5% of the total. Following are the port of Corfu and the port of Heraklion with 11.8% and 8.0% of the receipts respectively.
During the bishop of the year, 5,308 cruise ship arrivals (2023: 5.152 arrivals) were recorded. Total nights of passengers out of cruise ships increased by 2024 by 31.5% compared to 2023 and stood at 12,387.5 mm overnights, positively affecting the formation of cruise receipts. Total cruise passengers are estimated at 5,011.1 thousand, up 43.8% (Table 7A).

Chart 7 shows the distribution of total cruise ship arrivals per port. Piraeus is the main port in terms of cruise ship arrivals, with 15.3% of the total. Following are the port of Mykonos and the port of Santorini with 14.5% and 14.1% of the arrivals of cruise ships respectively.

In 2024, total cruise passenger visits amounted to 7,826.4 thousand, compared to 6,964.2 mm visits in 2023, up 12.4% (Table 7B). The additional cruise survey revealed that 81.2% of passengers were transit visitors, who averaged 1.6 stops in Greek ports. The seven most important cruise ship arrival ports cover 90.5% of total cruises and 82.0% of total passenger visits (Figure 8).

Travel balance per region

According to the border survey, travel receipts in 2024 stood at 20,591.7 million euros. The bulk of the receipts (Table 8), at 89.7% of the total, was held in five regions, as follows: South Aegean Region (EUR 5,687.4 million), Attica Region (EUR 4,750.9 million), Region of Crete (EUR 4,568.7 million), EUR 1,568.7 million, EUR 1,6 million and EUR 1,6 million), Region Region of Central Macedonia (1,486.0 million euros). Throughout the rest of the Regions (Epirus, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Peloponnese, Western Greece, Thessaly, Central Greece, Northern Aegean and Western Macedonia), the proceeds stood at € 2,115.1 million.

In 2024, travelers who visited Greece made a total of 39,354.9 thousand visits to the country’s 13 regions. This number is greater than the incoming travel traffic estimated by the border survey (35,951.4 mm travelers), as a traveler can visit more than one region during his trip.

The largest volume of visits, at 83.3% of the total, was held in five regions, as follows: Attica Region (8,784.8 mm), South Aegean Region (7,563.5 mm), Region of Central Macedonia (7,028.7 mm), Region Islands (3,432.9 mm). Throughout the rest of the Regions (Epirus, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Peloponnese, Thessaly, Western Greece, Central Greece, Northern Aegean and Western Macedonia), 6,586.0 thousand visits were held.

Traveler nights in Greece stood at 231,037.6 km during the reviewed period. According to the distribution of overnight stays in the 13 regions of the country, 87.2% of overnight stays took place in five regions, as follows: South Aegean Region (51.269.3 km), Attica Region (47.817.5 km), Region of Crete (46.705.6) (31.026.4 mm) and Ionian Islands Region (24,680.8 mm). In all the other regions (Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Epirus, Peloponnese, Thessaly, Northern Aegean, Western Greece, Central Greece and Western Macedonia) 29,537.9 mm overnights were held.