If there’s one thing confirmed by the latest data from the Bank of Greece, it’s that Greeks don’t miss an opportunity to take a trip abroad – whether it’s a three-day trip through Italian alleys or a one-day shopping spree in neighboring Bulgaria.
In 2024, Greeks made 6.85 million trips abroad. This is a significant increase compared to the 6.19 million trips in 2023 and the 5.1 million in 2022. Of these, 5.82 million were individual trips, while 864,800 were made as part of organized packages.
In practice, this translates into increased mobility for tourists, business,s or family reasons, with Greeks returning to international destinations with appetite, a plan – and a wallet.
2.8 billion euros abroad – and we see
The picture is even stronger when we look at the cost of these trips: 2.8 billion euros were spent in total by Greek travelers in 2024, compared to 2.43 billion euros in 2023 and 1.92 billion euros in 2022. 2.2 billion euros correspond to individual trips, while 604.3 million euros were spent through organized packages.
In fact, the average spend per trip was 419.6 euros, up from 392.9 euros in 2023. This shows that travelers are no longer just staying on the “cheap ticket” but are investing in the experience. If we also calculate the average length of stay, which is 5.2 days, then the average spend per night reaches 81.4 euros – an amount that approaches the typical spend in many European cities.
Bulgaria, Italy, Germany: the first on the list
At the top of the list of destinations, for another year, is Bulgaria, with 983,400 trips. Not all trips are of the same type, of course. Many of these trips are same-day getaways or short weekend trips by residents of Northern Greece – especially during periods of sales, holidays or snowfall. Hence the significant difference between the number of trips and the expenditure, which amounted to just 77.1 million euros.
Italy follows, a consistently popular destination with 620,200 trips and 314.6 million euros in expenditure – a combination of gastronomy, history and romance that seems to convince.
Germany comes third in trips (572,400) and second in expenditure (301.7 million euros), partly thanks to visits to relatives, but also to business trips.
Other popular destinations were:
Turkey: 549,000 trips, 161.1 million euros
United Kingdom: 349,100 trips, 241.7 million euros
Cyprus: 338,400 trips, 143 million euros
The differences between the number of trips and the amount of spending in each country also testify to the nature of each trip: sometimes we are talking about a quick city break, and other times about a more “full” trip with shopping, excursions, and culture.
Overall, the picture of 2024 shows that Greeks are not only traveling more, but they are also spending more consciously, investing in experiences. And this is an important message for tourism professionals – both in Greece and in the destinations that welcome them.
One thing is certain: the suitcases will not stay closed for long.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
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