Greek tourism sets record in 2025, sees growth in spending, off-season demand

Greek tourism reached a new high last year by welcoming a record number of visitors and collecting record revenues, with the latest data also underscoring how the country’s hospitality industry is evolving in new directions.

The central bank reports that Greece is attracting more tourists during the off-season, and visitors are also spending more money. These trends reflect positive changes in the tourism sector, which has sought to upgrade Greece’s tourism product and move away from the image of cheap, sun-and-sea holidays.

According to Bank of Greece data, visitor arrivals last year grew 5.6% to 38 million, up from 35.95 million in 2024, which was itself a record year. Tourism revenue rose 9.4% – outpacing the growth in arrivals – to €23.63 billion, more than €2 billion higher than the previous record set a year earlier.

“The significant increase in travel receipts compared with 2024, at a rate notably higher than the increase in arrivals, reflects the continuous improvement in the quality of our tourism offering,” said Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni. “At the same time, the increase in visitor traffic – and especially in revenues – during the shoulder and winter seasons is particularly encouraging, confirming that Greece is now evolving into a year-round destination.”

In December last year, for example, the number of visitor arrivals was 49% higher than a year earlier and tourism receipts were up 33%. Over the last two years, the trend is even more discernible. More than 1.3 million people came to Greece in December – compared with 765,500 two years earlier – while tourism receipts climbed to €623 million, compared with €326 million.

Preliminary data show that growth continues – albeit prior to the recent conflict in the Middle East. While the full impact of the war remains uncertain, in January and February international visitor arrivals at Athens International Airport – which serves as a proxy for overall tourism trends – show a 12% year-on-year increase to 2.9 million.

The steady growth in Greek tourism since the Covid pandemic has attracted unprecedented investment. In the last five years, more than 450 new 4- and 5-star hotels have opened their doors around Greece. At the same time, the Greek hospitality sector is diversifying into new areas like branded residences, vacation villas, assisted living facilities and student housing.