Tourists visit the Temple of Hephaestus at the Ancient Agora during a heat wave in Athens, Monday. [AP]
The first five months of the year recorded a 20% increase in tourism arrivals and 25% growth in tourism revenues, official figures showed on Wednesday. But the second half of 2026 is set to top that, according to the head of the industry’s association.
With a strong boost from British, Italian and American travelers, Greece’s tourism revenue increased annually by 25.8% in January-May, reaching €5.32 billion, according to data from the Bank of Greece. At the same time, inbound travel traffic increased by 20.9%, reaching 8.6 million visitors, while the average expenditure per trip increased by 4.5%, to €595.
“Greece continues to outperform its main rival destinations, with the key markets maintaining their momentum, while there are conditions for further lengthening the tourism season,” the new president of the Greek Tourism Confederation, Agapi Sbokou, said on Wednesday. The event marked her first press conference after taking the position.
She described a market that is now moving with “unprecedented rates of last-minute bookings,” referring to the most “last-minute” season ever recorded.
