Tourism in Greece has shown a strong recovery after the pandemic, recording a 97% increase compared to 2021, according to a Visa analysis on Mediterranean tourism.
According to Visa’s analysis, most visitors in 2023 came to Greece from the United Kingdom, representing 13% of the total. It is worth noting that the country with the most significant increase was Turkey, with arrivals from the neighboring country jumping by 163%. The US followed in second place, registering a 23% increase in one year. Compared to 2019, visitor growth from the US increased by 56%.
Using 2019 as a benchmark, although the UK remains consistently at the top of the visitor chart, the number of visitors from less visited countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania and Ireland has increased significantly. For some countries, such as Switzerland, the increase in spending is proportional to that of visitors, but in other cases, such as those of Romania and Germany, spending is higher than the increase in visitors, which highlights that the average spending per visitor has been increased.
Returning visitors
More than half of visitors in 2023 (54%) did not visit Greece or other Mediterranean destinations in 2022, while 2 in 10 returned to the country in 2023.
Where do tourists spend most of their money?
Dining and nightlife were the highest spending categories in Greece in 2023 with accommodation and supermarket shopping following. More specifically, restaurants, bars and nightclubs accounted for 22%, hotels and accommodation 19%, and supermarkets 7%.
Athens’ leader in the use of cards
In 2023, Athens came first among all cities in Greece in the use of cards with 67%. Among the islands, Santorini tops the list with 57%, followed by Rhodes and Chania. Athens accounted for a fifth of all spending in the country, with all destinations showing an increase, except Mykonos.
