Greek tourism showed a mixed performance in February 2025, as a sharp rise in United States visitors and spending helped cushion a broader slowdown in arrivals, particularly from within the European Union.
Provisional data from the Bank of Greece reveals a travel balance surplus of 90 million euros – down from 121.3 million euros in February 2024 – pointing to a softer start to the year.
Source: Bank of Greece
American visitors outspend all other tourists
The standout trend in February was the impressive increase in tourism from the US.
For the first time, American travelers topped the list in terms of spending, contributing 47.2 million euros – nearly double last year’s figure (94 percent).
This was driven by a 46.8 percent increase in arrivals, totaling 60,300 US visitors.
Overall receipts steady, but arrivals dip
Source: Bank of Greece
Total travel receipts rose marginally by 0.5 percent year-on-year to 297.1 million euros, supported mainly by a 1.2 percent increase in average spending per trip.
However, total arrivals in February fell by 0.8 percent, landing at 715,900 travelers. The decline stemmed largely from a 6.4 percent drop in visitors from EU-27 countries, a trend only partially offset by a 5.9 percent increase in travelers from non-EU markets.
Key markets: Strongest and weakest performances
– Germany: Despite a 5.9 percent increase in arrivals (66,200 visitors), spending fell to 25.6 million euros (down by 22.7 percent), due to lower per capita expenditure.
– United Kingdom: British visitors spent 20.2 million euros (up by 31.7 percent), with arrivals holding steady at 28,600 (plus 0.5 percent).
– France: Greece saw sharp drops from the French market in both arrivals (down by 43.7 percent) and spending (down by 41.8 percent), totaling just 8.1 million euros.
– Italy: The Italian market bucked the trend with a 43.2 percent jump in arrivals (35,000) and a 70.3 percent increase in receipts, reaching 20.9 million euros.
Of note, no tourism activity was recorded from Russia, either in arrivals or receipts.
Source: Bank of Greece
January–February: A two-speed start to the year
In the first two months of 2025, travel receipts totaled 599.3 million euros, reflecting a 3.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. However, the travel balance surplus decreased to 177.5 million euros, down from 237.3 million euros in 2024.
According to data from the Bank of Greece, receipts from EU-27 countries fell by 7.3 percent to 282.2 million euros, while receipts from non-EU countries saw a substantial increase of 16.7 percent, reaching 310.9 million euros.
In terms of arrivals, the number of inbound travelers rose by 5.4 percent, totaling 1.54 million.
Travel receipts and arrivals by nationality (January–February 2025)
– US: Receipts up by 51.2 percent to 88.1 million euros – Arrivals up by 13.6 percent to 108.8 thousand
– UK: Receipts up by 34.3 percent to 45.5 million euros – Arrivals up by 62.2 percent to 104.8 thousand
– Italy: Receipts up by 37.8 percent to 43.8 million euros – Arrivals up by 28.8 percent to 80.8 thousand
– Germany: Receipts down by 4.0 percent to 61.1 million euros – Arrivals up by 21.4 percent to 161.2 thousand
– France: Receipts down by 44.9 percent to 18.0 million euros – Arrivals down by 44.6 percent to 38.7 thousand
According to industry insiders, the February data paints a picture of shifting reliance in Greek tourism: while some European markets falter, long-haul destinations like the US and UK are showing strong momentum. Still, the drop in both arrivals and spending from traditional Eurozone markets – especially France and Germany – signals underlying challenges.
Moreovr, insiders note that as Greece heads into the spring travel season, the key question remains whether broader international demand can compensate for sluggish performance within the EU, and whether spending will remain strong enough to drive overall growth.
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