Greece welcomed more than 20 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2026, as tourism revenues reached €13.5 billion, setting a new record for the January-to-July period.
According to provisional data from the Bank of Greece, inbound traveller flows increased by 8.6% year-on-year to 20.43 million between January and July, up from 18.45 million during the same period in 2025. Travel receipts rose even faster, increasing by 12% compared with last year.
Revenue growth was supported by both European and non-European markets. Receipts from EU-27 residents increased by 6.9% to €7.09 billion, while those from visitors outside the bloc climbed by 18.3% to €5.78 billion. Receipts from eurozone countries rose by 11.3% to €5.88 billion.
Among Greece’s major source markets, revenue from Italy jumped by 31.6% to €828.1 million, while receipts from the United Kingdom increased by 23.3% to €2.09 billion and those from the United States rose by 7.9% to €1.06 billion. By contrast, revenue from Germany edged down by 0.7% to €1.98 billion, while receipts from France fell by 16.8% to €623.7 million.
Visitor numbers also grew across several key markets during the seven-month period. Arrivals from Germany increased by 7.7% to 3.03 million, while those from Italy rose by 17.2% to 1.20 million. UK arrivals climbed by 10.5% to 2.27 million, while US arrivals increased by 6.1% to 910,500.
Despite the strong overall performance, July showed a more mixed picture. Inbound traveller flows fell by 3.1% year-on-year to 6.55 million, even as travel receipts increased by 7.2% to €4.72 billion. The Bank of Greece attributed the higher revenue to a 10% increase in average expenditure per trip.
Separate data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) showed that Greece’s hotels, campsites and short-stay accommodation recorded 6.61 million arrivals and 31.70 million overnight stays in July. Foreign visitors accounted for 80.3% of arrivals and 87.6% of overnight stays, highlighting the sector’s continued reliance on international demand.
The latest figures extend the strong momentum recorded earlier in 2026. In the first half of the year, Greece welcomed 13.49 million inbound travellers and generated €8.80 billion in travel receipts, increases of 15.4% and 14.8% respectively.
Demand is also expected to remain strong beyond the peak summer season. A recent Greek National Tourism Organization survey found that 29% of European travellers intend to visit Greece by May 2027, while around 35% of respondents planning a Greek trip were looking at the September-to-November period of 2026.
