Photo source: Eurostat / Andrey Popov, AdobeStock
Greece secured fifth place among EU countries with the highest number of overnight stays in tourist accommodations for 2024, according to Eurostat data collected from European markets.
Spain, France, Italy, and Germany led the rankings in what proved to be a record-breaking year for EU tourism.
According to the EU’s statistical authority, the total number of overnight stays in tourist accommodations surpassed 3 billion, marking a 2.2 percent increase compared to 2023 (+65.4 million overnight stays).
Greece’s strong tourism performance
Greece recorded 152.24 million overnight stays across all types of tourist accommodations, including hotels, short-term rentals, and campsites – a 3.5 percent increase from 2023, outperforming the European average.
As seen across much of Europe, Greece’s growth was primarily driven by international arrivals rather than domestic tourism. Of the total overnight stays in Greece, 127.73 million were attributed to international visitors, reflecting a 3.8 percent increase. Meanwhile, domestic overnight stays totaled 24.6 million, showing a 2.1 percent rise.
Interestingly, Greeks traveled more within their own country in 2024 compared to other Europeans. While domestic tourism across the EU remained stable with a slight decline of 0.1 percent (1.56 billion overnight stays), international travel within the EU surged by 4.9 percent, exceeding 1.44 billion overnight stays.
EU-wide trends
Spain (500 million), Italy (458 million), France (451 million), and Germany (441 million) collectively accounted for 61.6 percent of all overnight stays in the EU. Conversely, Luxembourg (3.4 million), Latvia (4.7 million), and Estonia (6.6 million) recorded the lowest figures.
By accommodation type, hotels accounted for 63 percent of total overnight stays, short-term rentals made up 24 percent, and campsites or similar facilities represented 13 percent.
In 2024, 23 of the 27 EU member states experienced growth in overnight stays compared to 2023. Malta led the way with double-digit growth of 14.4 percent, followed by Latvia (+7.4 percent) and Poland (+5.2 percent). Conversely, four countries recorded declines: Sweden (-0.1 percent), Belgium (-0.2 percent), France (-0.6 percent), and Luxembourg (-2.7 percent).
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