The major players who contributed to the improved performance of Greek tourism in the first half of the year and the 10.1% yearly growth in per capita spending were Americans and Germans, whose vacation budgets are usually higher than those from other countries.
The average foreign traveler visiting Greece now comes from a higher income group than in previous years, according to an increasing number of economists working in tourism, noting the significant rise in average per capita spending.
This estimate is now supported both by the Bank of Greece’s statistics for the first half of the year and by the processing of visitor profiles by organizations such as the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE).
The first forecasts for the performance of tourism in Greece for the entire year speak of an increase in receipts and a smaller or no increase in arrivals.
Last year travel receipts amounted to 21.59 billion euros, showing an increase of 4.8% compared to 2023, while incoming travel traffic last year increased by 12.8% and amounted to 40.693 million travelers, compared to 36.082 million in 2023.
In the first half of this year, according to BoG data, travel receipts increased by €760 million or 11% and average per capita spending by 10.1% – rates far higher than inflation in the corresponding period. If this trend continues, it is obvious that Greek tourism will set a new record for receipts.
Greater visibility on whether this trend of the first half of the year has continued will be available later in September, when the data for July is published.
The major players who contributed to the improved performance of Greek tourism in the first half of the year were Americans and Germans, whose vacation budgets are usually higher than those from other countries. As a result, average per capita expenditure increased significantly compared to last year: It was 10.1% higher at €622.7 from €565.4 in the same period last year, according to the BoG. In 2019, the last year before the recession that Covid brought to tourism, average per capita expenditure was €564, at a level similar to 2024.
The qualitative improvement in tourism in the first half of 2025 was not only thanks to the large increase in arrivals and receipts from the United States, but also the reduction from the Balkans.