Greece’s tourism sector is delivering mixed results in the summer of 2025, with rising revenues and international arrivals offset by weaker performance among hotels, particularly in Athens.
Data from the Athens-Attica and Saronic Islands Hotel Association (EXA) and the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (INSETE) show that while overall travel receipts are climbing, hotels are under pressure from growing competition with short-term rentals. Athens continues to outperform Istanbul but trails Rome, Madrid and Barcelona in key hospitality metrics.
Athens hotels saw a sharp downturn in July, confirming industry concerns. Average occupancy dropped to 83.3%, compared to 86.4% a year earlier, a decline of 3.6%. Compared with July 2023, the decrease is even steeper at 5.7%. Average Daily Rate (ADR) edged up to €207.85 from €205.54 in July 2024, but Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) slipped to €173.19 from €177.64. For January-July 2025, overall occupancy held steady at 75.8%, ADR averaged €176.18, and RevPAR reached €133.49, supported by stronger first-quarter results. Three-star hotels remain the most challenged, with occupancy falling since March.
Tourism revenues tell a different story. Travel receipts for January–-une 2025 jumped 11% year-over-year to €7.66 billion. Gains came from both EU visitors (+8.5%, €4.07 billion) and non-EU markets (+13.7%, €3.21 billion). Notably, receipts from the US soared nearly 30% to €704 million.
Meanwhile, short-term rentals continue their rapid expansion. In July 2025, listings hit a record 246,000 units, offering 1.08 million beds – 57,000 more than a year earlier – further squeezing hotel performance.