Strong start for Greek tourism in 2025, led by non-EU influx

Data from the Bank of Greece reveals that arrivals via air travel surged by 10.8%, while those crossing land borders fell by 3.9%

Tourist arrivals in Greece climbed by nearly 6% in the first four months of 2025, boosted by strong US and non-EU visitor numbers, while some European markets showed declines. Tourism revenue also rose, exceeding EUR 2 billion.

This upward trend in tourism translated into a 10.6% rise in related revenues. Notably, income from non-EU tourists grew by 26%, hitting EUR 1 billion, while earnings from EU-27 visitors dipped by 1.8%, settling at EUR 1.025 billion.

More tourists from the US, less from EU

In the January to April period of 2025, Greece welcomed over 4.1 million tourists, marking a 5.8% increase compared to the same timeframe last year. Tourist arrivals from the United States showed remarkable growth, jumping by around 27%.

Breaking down the numbers further: visitors from the EU-27 countries totaled 2.04 million, which is a 5.4% decrease compared to early 2024. Meanwhile, travelers from outside the EU increased substantially by 19.7%, reaching 2 million visitors. Additionally, arrivals from eurozone member states saw a 3.2% rise.

However, arrivals from EU countries outside the eurozone declined sharply, dropping 27.9%. Specifically, Germany experienced a modest increase in visitors, up 3.6% to 475,500. On the other hand, France and Italy reported declines of 22.6% and 11% respectively, with 164,600 and 198,300 visitors each.

Looking at non-EU markets, tourists from the United Kingdom surged by 41.5%, totaling 294,600 arrivals. The US also contributed significantly, with a 26.9% increase, amounting to 339,500 visitors. Russian arrivals showed a slight uptick, reaching 2,800.

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