Greece: arrivals rise, spending falls

Greek tourism is moving at two speeds in the first seven months of 2026: arrivals are multiplying, but their economic return does not always match the same pace. According to INSETE Intelligence’s August Statistical Bulletin, during January–July 2026, 15.7 million international air arrivals were recorded at Greece’s major airports, up 3.6% compared to the same period in 2025; in July alone, arrivals exceeded 5 million, up 3.2%. Meanwhile, using different methodology and for a different timeframe, the Bank of Greece recorded for January–June 2026 a total of 13.49 million traveller arrivals via all entry points, up 15.4%, with travel receipts strengthening by 14.8%, to €8.796 billion. The two data series should not be confused, as they concern different periods and different bases of measurement, but they converge on the same conclusion: tourist traffic is increasing.

Behind the overall increase lie significant differences between destinations. In the January–July 2026 seven-month period, Crete concentrated 3.2 million international air arrivals (+7.2%), the Ionian Islands 2.3 million (+6.6%), and the Cyclades 668,000 (+4.7%), according to INSETE Intelligence. The Peloponnese recorded the highest percentage increase, at +15.2% to 154,455 arrivals, while among smaller destinations Kalamata stands out (+20.8%, 107,127 arrivals) and Samos (+19.5%, 86,305 arrivals). By contrast, Kavala declined by 8.8%, Mytilene by 7.7%, and Kos by 1.2%. In the two largest urban gateways, the picture differs: Athens airport recorded 4.88 million arrivals, down 0.8%, while Thessaloniki reached 1.61 million, up 6%—a dynamic in regional air connectivity that also touches the islands, as shown by the addition of direct Syros–Thessaloniki flights for the winter. At the two leading island destinations, dynamics also differ: Mykonos recorded 317,000 arrivals (+9.5%), while Santorini remained nearly flat, at 351,000 (+0.7%).

The divergence between arrivals and revenue takes on particular significance in June 2026, when arrivals rose by 6.9% to 4.92 million travellers, but travel receipts strengthened by only 1.2%, to €3.48 billion; average spending per trip fell by 6.2% that month, according to the Bank of Greece. For the entire six-month period, average spending declined by 0.6%. The travel balance remained positive, at €6.93 billion against €6.01 billion last year, covering 46.3% of the deficit in the goods balance. In individual markets, receipts from Germany (−6.3%) and France (−7.4%) declined in the six-month period, while rising from Italy (+31.1%), the United Kingdom (+8.5%), and the USA (+10.8%). For island and regional economies that depend on tourism, this development means that higher traffic does not automatically translate into a corresponding boost in revenue per visitor.

The path of Athens shows how instability in the Middle East affected demand this year: the negative sign in international arrivals at the airport appeared in April (−4.8%) and widened in May (−7.9%) and June (−6.3%), before the gap narrowed again in July (−1.6%), according to INSETE Intelligence; markets linked to the Middle East account for roughly 7.5% of Athens airport’s activity. Despite the turbulence, the overall picture remains positive, with INSETE Intelligence placing the challenge for the rest of the season on strengthening spending per trip, so that higher traffic in August and autumn translates into proportionally higher economic value for destinations and businesses.