Tourism revenues in Greece recorded a sharp increase of 64.3% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching €1.676 billion, according to provisional data from the Bank of Greece. The rise was accompanied by strong growth in international arrivals and an increase in average spending per trip.
Overall, Greece welcomed 3.401 million travelers during January–March 2026, marking a 38.3% increase compared to the same period in 2025, confirming the strengthening of demand beyond the traditional peak season.
Revenue surge to €1.676 billion
Tourism revenues in the first quarter of 2026 reached €1.676 billion, up 64.3% year-on-year, significantly outpacing the growth rate of arrivals and reflecting an improvement in the quality of tourism demand.
The travel balance recorded a surplus of €928.4 million, compared to €352.6 million in the same period of 2025, further strengthening tourism’s contribution to the services balance.
Rising average spending and value tourism dynamics
A key highlight in the Bank of Greece data is the increase in average spending per trip, which rose by 19.9% in Q1 2026.
This indicates that the growth in tourism revenues is not only driven by higher visitor volumes but also by higher per-visitor spending, a critical factor for the hospitality sector and short-term rentals.
Balanced market contribution – Europe and non-EU countries
Revenue growth was evenly distributed between two main pillars:
- EU-27: €825.2 million (+66.4%)
- Non-EU countries: €824.2 million (+65.2%)
This confirms a diversified demand base rather than reliance on a single market.
Eurozone revenues reached €709.3 million (+64.6%), while non-euro EU countries posted an even stronger increase of +78%, reaching €116 million.
Key source markets – who is driving growth
Performance across major source markets shows differentiated momentum:
- Germany: €122.5 million (+6.6%)
- France: €45.2 million (+39.1%)
- Italy: €113.8 million (+66.5%)
- United Kingdom: €213.3 million
- United States: €172.5 million (+6.0%)
Italy stands out as the fastest-growing market, while the UK and US continue to provide strong absolute contributions.
Inbound travel performance by country
- Germany: 297.3k travelers (+21.6%)
- France: 77.4k (+27.6%)
- Italy: 159.6k (+25%)
- United Kingdom: 250k (+49.3%)
- United States: 172.5k (-8.6%)
The UK market shows particularly strong growth, while US arrivals decline slightly despite stable revenue performance.
Air traffic rose by 18.8%, while road crossings increased by 84.3%.
Total inbound travel reached 3.401 million visitors, with EU-27 up 51.5% and other countries up 26.2%.
Conclusion
The first quarter of 2026 confirms that Greek tourism is in a strong expansion phase, with simultaneous growth in volume, revenues, and average spending.
This performance is supported by market diversification and a widening demand base beyond the peak summer season, creating a more stable foundation for the hospitality sector and short-term rental market.
However, this positive momentum unfolds within a globally volatile environment, where geopolitical tensions during the period temporarily affected booking pace and investor sentiment in tourism, without reversing the overall upward trend in demand.
