Greek Tourism: Which Nationalities Spent the Most in 2024

American tourists in Greece are proving to be the big spenders in 2024, a record year for Greek tourism revenues and arrivals. According to data, tourism revenues for this year’s ten month period of Jan-Oct. reached 20. 93 billion euros, surpassing 2023’s annual revenues by 341 million euros.

Particularly significant is the substantial increase in total revenues, up by 40% during the off-season months of the first quarter of the year and by 19.7% in Oct. This development brings the goal of extending the tourist season beyond the summer months closer to realization.

The Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, emphasized that the data appears to confirm that 2024 will be a new benchmark year, predicting that revenues could reach up to 22 billion euros.

She also highlighted that the strong performance underscores the robust momentum of the tourism sector, which not only directly contributes to income and employment but also significantly supports other key sectors of the economy, such as agricultural production, manufacturing, and trade.

Regarding spending by nationality, American tourists spent an average of 1,034 euros, with a total of 1,369,600 Americans visiting Greece an increase of 7.9% compared to the same period in 2023. American tourists spent approximately 1.41 billion euros, 10% more than the corresponding period in 2023.

Russians, despite their small numbers, demonstrated high spending habits. The 15,000 Russian tourists who visited this year spent around 1,000 euros per capita, totaling 15.2 million euros. The high average spending per Russian tourist highlights the economic impact of their reduced presence in Greece. Before the COVID-19 pandemic and the onset of the war in Ukraine, over 600,000 Russians visited Greece annually.

As for other nationals, British tourists also rank high in terms of spending, with an average expenditure of 731 euros per person over the ten-month period. In total, the 4,393,400 British tourists spent 3.21 billion euros, a 1.3% decrease compared to last year.

The Germans follow with an average spending of 691euros per tourist, however, spending the most overall among all “tourist groups.” It should be noted that Germans were the nationality with the highest number of tourists in Greece, totaling 5.22 million up by14.9%.

The French come next, spending an average of 659 euros per tourist, with a total expenditure of 1.26 billion euros, a decrease of 10% compared to the same period last year. However, arrivals increased by 7.3%, with approximately 1.92 million French visitors coming to Greece during the Jan-Oct. period.