Greece welcomed more than 20 million foreign visitors in the first seven months of the year, while tourism receipts jumped to €13.52 billion.

According to data released by the Bank of Greece, Greece’s travel balance recorded a surplus of €11.243 billion in January-July 2026, compared with a surplus of €10.087 billion in the same period last year.

Increase in average travel spending

Travel receipts posted double-digit growth, rising 12% to €13.518 billion, while travel payments also increased by €291.6 million, or 14.7%, to €2.275 billion.

According to the Bank of Greece, the increase in travel receipts reflected growth in both inbound travel traffic, which rose 8.6%, and average spending per trip, which increased by 2.9%.

Net receipts from travel services offset 62.1% of the goods trade deficit and accounted for 90.3% of total net services receipts.

Breakdown of tourism revenue

Travel receipts increased by 12% from the same period in 2025, reflecting a 6.9% rise in receipts from residents of EU countries, which reached €7.09 billion, and an 18.3% increase in receipts from residents of non-EU countries, which reached €5.783 billion.

More specifically, receipts from residents of euro area countries rose 11.3% to €5.884 billion, while receipts from residents of EU countries outside the euro area fell 10.4% to €1.210 billion.

German and French receipts decline, while Italian and British visitors spend more

Receipts from Germany fell 0.7% to €1.981 billion, while receipts from France declined 16.8% to €623.7 million.

By contrast, receipts from Italy rose 31.6% to €828.1 million.

Among other markets, receipts from the United Kingdom increased 23.3% to €2.092 billion, while receipts from the United States rose 7.9% to €1.063 billion.

Inbound traveller flows rise 8.6%

Inbound travel traffic also posted strong growth.

In January-July 2026, the number of inbound travellers increased 8.6% to 20.043 million, from 18.455 million in the same period of 2025.

Travel arrivals by air increased 6%, while those through road border crossings rose 17.5%.

Over the same period, arrivals from EU countries reached 11.561 million, up 8.6% from the corresponding period of 2025, while arrivals from non-EU countries increased 8.7% to 8.482 million.

Arrivals from euro area countries rose 13.2%, while those from EU countries outside the euro area declined 8.8%.

Italian arrivals up 25%

Arrivals from Germany increased 7.7% to 3.029 million, while those from France fell 5.1% to 923,200.

Travel traffic from Italy recorded a strong 24.6% increase to 1.273 million travellers.

Among other markets, arrivals from the United Kingdom rose 12.3% to 2.58 million, while those from the United States fell 8.2% to 829,900.