- By Viki Tryfona
Greece experiences another record year in tourism, with the airports filling and the arrivals breaking the statistics. So, is World Tourism Day an opportunity for celebrations? The numbers show that rather it is an opportunity for reflections.
The question remains: What counts more for a country that wants to invest in sustainable development? More tourists or better tourism?
According to the data of INSETE, the period January–August 2025 were recorded 19.9 million international air arrivals, increased by +5.6% in relation to 2024. Crete kept the scepters with 4.1 million passengers, while the Cyclades were the only geographical unit with fall (-5.9%).
At the same time, the travel receipts for the period January–July marked rise +12.5%, reaching 12.2 billion euros. Germany (+16.6%) and France (+15.6%) constituted basic “feeders”, while the USA recorded impressive increase +25.3%. In contrast, the United Kingdom moved downward (-2.9%).
In few words: the arrivals increase, but the real revenues move with different rhythms, highlighting that the quality and the purchasing power of the visitors play now bigger role than the volume.
The contradiction: Full airplanes, fewer overnight stays
The paradox of this season is that, while arrivals increase, the overnight stays do not follow. The full airplanes do not translate always into full hotels. The average duration of stay has fallen from 10 to 5 days in the last decade.
In Athens, the hotel occupancies in August reached 79.3%, versus 77.9% of last August, showing marginal increase of order 1.7% – in continuation however of two peak months with negative sign, although the arrivals at “El. Venizelos” increased. The Association of Hoteliers speaks of “dangerous stagnation” and warns that the numbers do not tell the whole story.
International examples
In the rest of Europe, the signs of slowdown become ever more visible. Spain, second most popular tourist country worldwide, foresees indeed new historical record of visitors for 2025 – with 100 million arrivals – but the revenues do not follow the same rhythm. According to Exceltur, the revenues from hotels, airlines, catering and other tourist activities increase only by 2.7% in the third quarter, versus 6.3% the corresponding period of 2024. At the same time, the estimation for the annual growth of tourist activity was revised downward, at 3.3% from 4%, as the global uncertainty, the trade disputes and the exchange rate volatility limit the purchasing power of basic markets.
Similar trends appear also in other European countries, where the increase of arrivals is accompanied by restrained consumption, in the midst of inflationary pressures and general economic crisis that affects the available resources of households. The “quantitative” success does not translate anymore automatically into “qualitative” development for the destinations, highlighting the need of a new strategy.
Here exactly is met the issue of sustainability: the pressure on infrastructures and the alteration of everyday life of inhabitants render sustainability not choice, but necessity. From Barcelona to Rome and from Lisbon to Venice, multiply the measures that aim at the restriction of overtourism, either through special fees and taxes, or with policies of decentralization of the flow of visitors. Europe is called to pass from the model of simple growth into a model of balance, where the success of tourism will be measured not only with numbers of arrivals, but with the quality of the experience and the resilience of the societies that host it.
The small and medium ones do not see the benefit
Behind the macroeconomic numbers, the small and medium enterprises in tourism and retail live a “poor” season. Despite the increase of tourist receipts, many businesses report decrease of consumption. Beach bars in small destinations speak of limited orders, the data of ELSTAT show fall of turnover in the sector by 4.75% in the first half of 2025 in relation to last year while 74% of retail stores saw the operating costs increase over 10% this year.
The result is a paradox: more revenues for the state, but fewer benefits for the “real” tourist market that is supported by small and medium.
From quantity to quality
The discussion about the future of Greek tourism cannot be limited to the records of arrivals. The indicators that must be monitored are not only the passengers of the airports, but the average duration of stay, the spending per visitor, the quality of the accommodation, the dispersion of the demand into secondary destinations and – mainly – the environmental and social footprint.
Crete constitutes positive example: with higher room prices and differentiated experiences, it managed to improve the revenues of hotels despite the decrease of occupancies. At the same time, islands such as Naxos and Andros gain ground with authentic experiences, agrotourism and boutique hospitality.
The stake of 2030
Greece has two roads:
To continue to chase records of arrivals, with risk that the quality of life in the destinations is worn down and the phenomenon of overtourism is strengthened. Or to invest in “smart development”, which means fewer but better tourists, with longer stay, higher spending and substantial contribution to the local society.
As the international examples show, the second choice is not luxury, it is one-way road for a tourism sustainable, balanced and competitive.
