Greeks traveled abroad more in 2024 than in 2023, according to a study by INSETE (the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation). Outbound trips rose by 8% year on year, reaching 6.7 million, while travel payments jumped 15% to €2.8 billion—the highest since border survey records began in 2005. Overnight stays fell slightly to 34.5 million, still below pre-pandemic levels.
Spending per traveler increased, with average per capita expenditure up 7% to €420, and average daily spending up 17% to €81, despite shorter stays averaging 5.2 nights (down from 5.6). INSETE attributes the rise to inflation and a shift from low-cost Balkan destinations to higher-spending markets in Central and Northern Europe.
Top destinations for Greeks in 2024
Bulgaria remained the top destination, although Greek departures fell below one million for the first time in years (983,000, down 8% from 2023).
The next four spots were:
Italy: 620,000 visits (+7%)Germany: 572,000 (+21%)Turkey: 549,000 (-8%)United Kingdom: 349,000 (+6%)
Other notable increases included:
France: 240,000 (+22%)Spain: 212,000 (+11%)Austria: 197,000 (+22%)Netherlands: 182,000 (+25%)
Emerging destinations included Poland (105,000, +25%) and the Czech Republic (47,000, +26%). By contrast, Cyprus (-9%) and Egypt (-5%) saw declines, while travel to Russia remained minimal (5,000).
Changing patterns in Greek tourism
The data confirms a gradual decline in short-haul, low-spending trips to neighboring Balkan countries, whose share of Greek outbound travel fell from 26% in 2023 to 22% in 2024. Meanwhile, traditional higher-cost destinations in Western and Northern Europe rose from 27% to 28% of the total.
Unlike inbound tourism to Greece, which peaks in summer, Greek outbound travel is spread relatively evenly across all four quarters of the year.
Source: OT