In 2023, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Greece's gross domestic product (GDP) nearly recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, being just *** percent lower than in 2019. Overall, the total contribution of these industries to Greece's GDP amounted to **** billion euros in 2023. This figure was forecast to reach an estimated **** billion euros in 2024. The economic contribution of travel and tourism in Greece Travel and tourism play a prominent role in supporting the Greek economy. In 2023, these industries accounted for more than ** percent of the country’s GDP. That was the third-highest share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in EU countries that year. In terms of travel and tourism’s total contribution to employment, these markets supported over ******* jobs in 2023. What are the leading inbound travel markets in Greece? In 2023, the number of international tourists in Greece surpassed ** million, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. That year, Germany was the leading inbound travel market in Greece based on the number of arrivals, ahead of the United Kingdom, Italy, and France.

Tourism Revenues in Greece increased to 3306.69 EUR Million in June from 2247.75 EUR Million in May of 2025. This dataset provides - Greece Tourism Receipts- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This statistic presents the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Greece from 2012 to 2018, with an additional forecast for 2028. Over this period, the direct contribution of the travel and tourism industry to GDP in Greece increased, reaching 14.3 billion euros in 2017.

Greece: International tourism revenue, percent of GDP: The latest value from 2020 is 3.24 percent, a decline from 11.1 percent in 2019. In comparison, the world average is 3.33 percent, based on data from 125 countries. Historically, the average for Greece from 1995 to 2020 is 6.27 percent. The minimum value, 2.64 percent, was reached in 1996 while the maximum of 11.1 percent was recorded in 2019.

This statistic shows the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Greece in 2017, by type. Travel and tourism directly contributed approximately 14 billion euros to the Greek economy in 2017.

In 2023, the share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in European Union member countries and the United Kingdom remained in most cases below the figures reported before the COVID-19 pandemic, but showed strong signs of recovery. Overall, Croatia was the EU country where travel and tourism contributed the highest share of gross domestic product in 2023. That year, these industries generated, directly and indirectly, nearly ** percent of the country's GDP. Portugal and Greece followed in the ranking in 2023, with travel and tourism representing **** percent and **** percent of GDP, respectively.

The direct contribution of travel and tourism to Athens' gross domestic product (GDP) was forecast to grow significantly in 2022 compared to the first two years of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the sharp increase, these industries' direct contribution to GDP in the city was expected to remained below pre-pandemic levels, reaching an estimated 3.8 billion euros in 2022.

The statistic depicts Greece's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. In 2024, Greece's real GDP increased by about 2.27 percent compared to the previous year. Greece's national finances Greece is viewed as a high-income economy and experienced high economic and social growth and development between the 1950s and the 1970s, which was the highest rate in the world only behind Japan. However, due to the Great Recession in 2009 as well as the Greek government-debt crisis, Greek experienced severe hits to its already somewhat struggling economy. From the mid to late 2000s, national debt escalated severely but has, since 2012, remained relatively stable, primarily due to several debt restructuring deals as well as stimulus packages from countries within the EU. Different forms of financial aid were offered to Greece from countries within the European Union in order to help maintain the country from going completely dysfunctional to the point that Greece would no longer be able to pay back its debts. Greece’s economy primarily strives in the service sector and benefits exceptionally from its tourist industry. However, due to a failing tourist industry as well as struggles with properly managing imports and exports, struggles within the country are further increasing. More competent leadership, cutting costs as well as new structural reforms are necessary in order to slowly bring Greece back to an economically stable country.

International spending accounts for the highest share of travel and tourism spending in Greece. In 2023, the expenditure by inbound visitors represented roughly ** percent of total travel and tourism spending in the country, denoting a decline of *** percentage point from 2019.

Greece export data: Discover how petroleum, food, tourism and energy investments fuel its vibrant economy & international trade relations.

Hotels and short-term accommodation providers in Europe enjoy strong demand due to the continent’s well-developed tourism sector and significant number of holiday destinations that cater to various consumer needs. European residents often holiday domestically or go on trips to other European countries due to how quick and easy it is to travel to them. Rising domestic and international tourism has fuelled accommodation demand across the continent, though companies have faced strong competition from short-term lets. Revenue is slated to inch downward at a compound annual rate of 0.1% over the five years through 2025 to €202.8 billion, including an expected 0.2% drop in 2025. Despite the numerous popular holiday spots spread across Europe, including Spain, Italy and France, hotels and other holiday accommodation providers weren’t prepared for the catastrophic drop in tourism caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The easing of travel restrictions in 2021 and 2022 drove revenue back up, supported mostly by heightened domestic tourism due to heightened consumer confidence and a trend towards staycations. International travel recovered and drove up occupancy rates and RevPAR, especially in the upscale and luxury segments. Since 2022, though, severe inflation and heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty have squeezed consumers’ budgets, limiting spending on holidays. European hotels and short-term accommodation providers face intense competition, putting pressure on prices and RevPAR. The popularity of online booking platforms like Airbnb has played a big part in increasing competitive pressures. To attract potential guests, accommodation providers are adopting dynamic pricing strategies and investing in enhancing the customer experience through innovation and differentiation. The use of advanced technology and the wellness tourism trend have shaped the industry’s focus. Nonetheless, intense competition and elevated operating costs like rent, purchases and wages have constrained profit. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 2.5% over the five years through 2030 to €229.3 billion. A mounting number of international guests and strong demand for domestic holidays will drive growth. Climbing disposable income and wealthy international tourists flocking to European destinations is set to stimulate spending on upscale hotels and holiday accommodation. Regulatory crackdowns on short-term rentals in many European countries may ease competitive pressures, while escalating consumer demand for sustainable travel is driving providers to adapt. Innovation, sustainability and guest-centric strategies will be key to capturing market share and responding to evolving traveller expectations.

In 2024, Germany was the leading inbound travel market in Greece based on the number of arrivals. That year, the number of arrivals by German travelers totaled *** million. The United Kingdom and Italy followed in the ranking in 2024, with around *** million and *** million arrivals, respectively. How many inbound tourists visit Greece? The number of inbound travelers in Greece grew by roughly ** percent in 2024 over the previous year, peaking at over ** million. As the number of international travelers reached the highest figure recorded by the country to date, the value of international travel receipts in Greece followed the same trend, exceeding ** billion euros in 2024. The importance of travel and tourism for the Greek's economy In 2023, travel and tourism represented almost ** percent of Greece's gross domestic product (GDP). That was the third-highest share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP among EU countries. When considering the total contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Greece, those markets supported, directly and indirectly, around ******* jobs that year.

Approximately 34.2 million arrivals were recorded at travel accommodation in Greece in 2019. International tourism was the highest contributor, with around two thirds of arrivals in visitor accommodation coming from a foreign country.

Greece tourism growth

Since 2009 international visitor numbers to Greece have steadily increased. Including both overnight and same-day visitors, figures reached over 33 million by 2018. Greece has long been a popular destination for beach vacations. Situated in southern Europe and spread across hundreds of islands, the region is also a major area for cruise and sea tourism.

Tourism’s role in Greek debt crisis recovery

Tourism is essential to the Greek economy. It became a lifeline following the government debt crisis that saw the country fall into recession in late 2009, resulting in an emergency bailout from the EU. Although Greece exited the eurozone bailout in 2018, tourism continues to play a role in aiding the country’s ongoing economic recovery. Vacation crowds are still attracted to summer hotspots such as Crete, the Ionian Islands and the South Aegean regions. In 2018, travel and tourism was estimated to have directly contributed 15.1 billion euros to GDP in Greece.

While the tourism sector GDP share in Malta was forecast to increase long-term between 2023 and 2028 by in total *** percentage points, it is estimated to decrease in the years 2026, 2027 and 2028. The share is estimated to amount to ***** percent in 2028. While the share was forecast to increase significant in the next years, the increase will slow down in the future.Depited is the economic contribution of the tourism sector in relation to the gross domestic product of the country or region at hand.The forecast has been adjusted for the expected impact of COVID-19.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than *** countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the tourism sector GDP share in countries like Italy and Greece.

This statistic shows the national debt of Greece from 2020 to 2023, with projections until 2030. In 2023, the national debt in Greece was around 420.4 billion U.S. dollars. In a ranking of debt to GDP per country, Greece is currently ranked third. Greece's struggle after the financial crisis Greece is a developed country in the EU and is highly dependent on its service sector as well as its tourism sector in order to gain profits. After going through a large economic boom from the 1950s to the 1970s as well as somewhat high GDP growth in the early to mid 2000s, Greece’s economy took a turn for the worse and struggled intensively, primarily due to the Great Recession, the Euro crisis as well as its own debt crisis. National debt within the country saw significant gains over the past decades, however roughly came to a halt due to financial rescue packages issued from the European Union in order to help Greece maintain and improve their economical situation. The nation’s continuous rise in debt has overwhelmed its estimated GDP over the years, which can be attributed to poor government execution and unnecessary spending. Large sums of financial aid were taken from major European banks to help balance out these government-induced failures and to potentially help refuel the economy to encourage more spending, which in turn would decrease the country’s continuously rising unemployment rate. Investors, consumers and workers alike are struggling to see a bright future in Greece, whose chances of an economic comeback are much lower than that of other struggling countries such as Portugal and Italy. However, Greece's financial situation might improve in the future, as it is estimated that at least its national debt will decrease - slowly, but steadily. Still, since its future participation in the European Union is in limbo as of now, these figures can only be estimates, not predictions.

This statistic shows employment in Greece from 2016 to 2024, with projections up until 2026 .In 2024, around 4.28 million people were employed in Greece. Employment in Greece Just like the rest of Greece’s economy, the job market has been adversely affected by the economic crisis of 2008; it has been struggling to recover ever since. The majority of the Greek population lives in urbanized areas, but lay-offs and job cuts affect the whole country; the unemployment rate in Greece has been increasing dramatically all over the country and has almost tripled since 2009. Greece’s economy relies heavily on services; most of Greece’s gross domestic product is produced in that sector. The gross domestic / GDP growth rate in Greece, however, has not improved since 2009 – on the contrary, after falling to an all-time low in 2011, GDP is now even lower than in the year recession hit the country. Some of the most important industries for Greece are the maritime and shipping industries, as well as tourism. The export of goods has been on the rise, while imports have been decreasing, causing the trade deficit to improve slowly but steadily. Still, Greece is not out of the red and probably won’t be for some time. National debt in relation to gross domestic product is growing, and Greece is still ranked second on a ranking of countries with the highest public debt worldwide. Austerity measures and rescue packages from the European Union are now put in place to ensure Greece’s recovery from the crisis.

This statistic shows the unemployment rate in Greece from 1999 to 2024. In 2024, the unemployment rate in Greece was around 10.13 percent. Today, Greece reports the highest unemployment rate of all EU states. Greece's financial situation Greece is a developed country with a high-income economy, whose primary industry revolves around tourism and shipping. Agriculture also plays an important role for the country’s economy, more specifically for the EU. Greece had experienced large amounts of economic growth from the 1950s to the 1970s, however was economically devastated by the Great Recession in 2009 as well its own government debt crisis. Since the early 2000s, small increases in national debt were present within the Greek economy. These small increases turned into rather substantial surges between 2008 and 2011, which resulted in a large amount of accumulated public debt. However, financial assistance from several countries around the world as well as stimulus packages from the EU were issued to Greece, with the hopes of structural adjustments in the government and better decision making within the country in order to decrease national debt and increase productivity. The financial assistance helped stabilize Greece’s debt over the past several years, however many countries are arguing just how useful this support is, mostly because Greece has not made significant strides to improve its economy. As a result, consumers have become less optimistic about the possibility of a short term economic recovery in Greece. Additionally, investors have remained hesitant on investing into the country, generally due to an increasing debt-to-GDP ratio, which is ranked atop all countries in the European Union. The so-called debt-to-GDP ratio is an important indicator of a country’s ability to pay back its debts without incurring further debt.

Spain was the most visited country by residents of the United Kingdom in 2023, with approximately 17.81 million visits. This figure was marginally lower than in 2019, prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Meanwhile, France, Italy, and Greece followed in the 2023 rankings; of these, only Greece reported a higher number of visits that year compared to pre-pandemic levels. Spain still a favorite among UK holidaymakers Spain has become a firm favorite among holiday travelers from Britain, as it continually lists as the most visited holiday destination abroad. Beach holidays are popular among Brits in search of warmer climates, and the relative ease and cheapness of package holidays to the Mediterranean make it possible. Along with France and Germany, the UK is one of the key inbound travel markets for Spain. Outbound tourism from the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic As suggested by the figures recorded by the leading outbound travel destinations, the number of visits abroad from the United Kingdom rebounded in 2022 but had not yet caught up with pre-pandemic levels as of 2023, totaling around 86 million that year. As the volume of visits bounced back, the outbound tourism expenditure in the UK also experienced a sharp annual increase in 2022 and in fact exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

With a Gross Domestic Product of over 4.3 trillion Euros, the German economy was by far the largest in Europe in 2024. The similarly sized economies of the United Kingdom and France were the second and third largest economies in Europe during this year, followed by Italy and Spain. The smallest economy in this statistic is that of the small Balkan nation of Montenegro, which had a GDP of 7.4 billion Euros. In this year, the combined GDP of the 27 member states that compose the European Union amounted to approximately 17.95 trillion Euros. The big five Germany’s economy has consistently had the largest economy in Europe since 1980, even before the reunification of West and East Germany. The United Kingdom, by contrast, has had mixed fortunes during the same period and had a smaller economy than Italy in the late 1980s. The UK also suffered more than the other major economies during the recession of the late 2000s, meaning the French economy was the second largest on the continent for some time afterward. The Spanish economy was continually the fifth-largest in Europe in this 38-year period, and from 2004 onwards, has been worth more than one trillion Euros. The smallest GDP, the highest economic growth in Europe Despite having the smallerst GDP of Europe, Montenegro emerged as the fastest growing economy in the continent, achieving an impressive annual growth rate of 4.5 percent, surpassing Turkey's growth rate of 4 percent. Overall,this Balkan nation has shown a remarkable economic recovery since the 2010 financial crisis, with its GDP projected to grow by 28.71 percent between 2024 and 2029. Contributing to this positive trend are successful tourism seasons in recent years, along with increased private consumption and rising imports. Europe's economic stagnation Malta, Albania, Iceland, and Croatia were among the countries reporting some of the highest growth rates this year. However, Europe's overall performance reflected a general slowdown in growth compared to the trend seen in 2021, during the post-pandemic recovery. Estonia experienced the sharpest negative growth in 2023, with its economy shrinking by 2.3% compared to 2022, primarily due to the negative impact of sanctions placed on its large neighbor, Russia. Other nations, including Sweden, Germany, and Finland, also recorded slight negative growth.