A recent study by INSETE documents an increase in travel by Greeks to international destinations. Specifically, the INSETE Intelligence research titled “Outbound travel movement from Greece, 2023-2024” reports that in 2024, Greeks traveled abroad more compared to 2023. At the same time, travel expenses reached a historic record, although overnight stays have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, there was a shift from traditional Balkan destinations toward Central and Northern European countries.
Read: Holidays: Greeks choose free accommodation at friends’ homes over hotels
The improvement in Greece’s economic climate led to positive developments in outbound tourism in 2024. According to the study by INSETE Intelligence, departures increased by 8%, from 6.2 million in 2023 to 6.7 million in 2024, while payments showed a 15% rise, reaching €2.8 billion from €2.4 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, overnight stays recorded a marginal decrease of 1% (34.5 million in 2024 from 34.9 million in 2023).
The faster rise in payments is attributed both to inflationary pressures that led to more expensive travel packages, and to Greek travelers’ preference for destinations with higher costs in Central and Northern Europe.
Which overseas destinations did Greeks prefer for their holidays
Travel to eurozone countries showed impressive growth across all metrics: departures +15%, overnight stays +5%, payments +19%. Traditional high-spending destinations like Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, France, and the Netherlands increased their share from 27% to 28%, while neighboring low-cost countries Bulgaria and Turkey declined from 26% to 22%.
Notably, the Average Per Capita Spending increased by 7% (€420 in 2024 from €393 in 2023), Average Spending per Overnight Stay by 17% (€81 from €70), and Average Length of Stay decreased by 9% (5.2 nights from 5.6), according to the study. The increase in per capita spending is due to higher daily expenses despite shorter stays, enhanced by choosing high-cost destinations and changing travel types (more leisure travel and city breaks, fewer holidays visiting friends/relatives).
However, despite increased spending, key outbound tourism indicators remain lower compared to inbound tourism to Greece: per capita spending -27%, spending per night -9%, length of stay -20%.
The seasonality of outbound tourism appears more balanced throughout the year, unlike inbound tourism which concentrates mainly in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. In 2024, there was an increase in the first quarter’s share in both departures (22% vs 20%) and payments (20% vs 18%), while the fourth quarter showed growth in overnight stays (25% vs 22%). Conversely, the third quarter recorded decreases across all categories.
