Tourist arrivals and overnight stays in Greece rose in 2024, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).
Overnight stays were up 3.9%, while the total arrivals rose 3.8% year-on-year, driven by foreign and domestic travelers. International visitor arrivals grew 4.2%, with overnight stays up 4.1%. Domestic tourism also expanded, with arrivals up 2.8% and overnight stays rising 2.7%.
Despite the positive figure, average bed occupancy in hotels and similar accommodations (excluding campsites and short-stay collective lodgings) dropped to 50.6% in 2024 from 54.7% in 2023.
Hotel-type accommodations accounted for the majority of traffic, with 79.4% of all arrivals and 76.4% of overnight stays. More than half of tourist activity was concentrated in the high season: 56.9% of arrivals and 63.8% of overnight stays were recorded between July and October.
The largest increases in absolute numbers of tourist arrivals were reported in the regions of South Aegean (+5.6% arrivals, +8.2% overnight stays), Central Macedonia (+6.0%, +5.9%), Ionian Islands (+5.6%, +3.9%), Attica (+3.3%, +2.7%), and Crete (+1.8%, +0.6%).
Foreign visitors represented the bulk of Greece’s tourism in 2024, accounting for 73.7% of all arrivals and 83.8% of overnight stays. European travelers dominated, making up 80.4% of foreign arrivals and 89.1% of overnight stays. The largest share came from EU member states, which contributed 53.7% of all international arrivals and 59.2% of overnight stays.
Source: tovima.com