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Greece’s tourism sector is showing signs of stress beneath the surface of record arrival numbers.
While more travelers are entering the country, they are spending less and staying for shorter periods, raising concerns about long-term sustainability. At the same time, early 2025 data point to a slowdown in visitor growth in key island destinations, even as American travelers continue to bring in high revenues.
The latest reports from Greek tourism analysts and financial institutions suggest that the country must now choose between short-term volume and long-term value.
According to a recent Eurobank report, tourism revenue in Greece increased from $5 billion in 2020 to $25 billion in 2024. However, this figure still falls short of pre-pandemic levels when adjusted for inflation. The real value of tourism earnings in 2024 was 1.6% lower than in 2019.
While international arrivals rose to 40.7 million in 2024, up from 15 million in 2010, the average spending per visitor fell to $618, down from $743 in 2010. Visitors are also spending less time in the country. The average stay decreased to 5.9 nights in 2024 from 9.3 nights in 2010.
Eurobank warns that this trend leads to lower-quality services and environmental strain. To address this, the bank proposes moving away from mass tourism and focusing instead on increasing the value of each visit.
Their study, as reported by Kathimerini, outlines 10 key areas for policy support. These include enforcing construction laws, limiting development outside urban plans, and improving infrastructure in support of cultural and nature-based tourism.
Other suggestions include promoting alternative forms of tourism, such as health or religious travel, and reducing the dominance of short-term rentals that operate as full businesses. The report stresses the need for state enforcement and cooperation from private tourism stakeholders.
Recent data from the first half of 2025 shows a slowdown in arrivals, especially on islands.
Tourism professionals believe these drops are linked to visitor dissatisfaction due to overcrowding and high prices, as well as external factors like early-year seismic activity in Santorini. The ferry industry also reported a 3% to 4% drop in passenger traffic to islands such as Samos, Mytilene, and Chios.
Not all regions are affected equally. Mainland cities are seeing continued growth.
Some experts suggest that more road trips from Athens to the Peloponnese and from Thessaloniki to Halkidiki may also be contributing to stronger numbers in mainland areas.
One area where Greece is seeing clear gains is among American tourists. Key figures from official data and market research reported by Kathimerini include:
Demand from American travelers has encouraged airlines to increase flight connections. During the peak summer months, there are now 103 weekly direct flights between Greece and the US, up from 82 last year and 46 in 2019.
Many US tourists are first-time visitors, but nearly half have visited before. According to a Visa–Ipsos survey, 30% of American travelers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly options. They also show interest in a wide range of activities beyond beaches and heritage sites, such as music festivals and nightlife.
This strong demand from American travelers offers some relief to Greece’s tourism industry. But experts stress that a shift toward higher-quality, sustainable travel must involve both public and private efforts if the country wants to maintain long-term growth without damaging its cultural and natural resources.
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