Greece is welcoming tourists who are spending more each day, but staying for less time—resulting in nearly unchanged overall spending per trip. According to newly released data from the Bank of Greece for 2024, international visitors are now taking shorter holidays, though their daily expenses have climbed notably since before the pandemic.
The average daily spending by tourists in 2024 reached €89.70, representing a 16.6% increase compared to €76.90 in 2019. While this may appear substantial, the rise is nearly in step with cumulative inflation over the same period, which stood at 17.6%. In real terms, that means visitors' purchasing power hasn’t shifted significantly—they're spending more euros, but getting about the same value.
What has changed more dramatically is the length of the average visit. Tourists are now staying just 5.9 days, down from 7 days in 2019—a decline of nearly 16%. As a result, the total expenditure per trip has dipped slightly, from €534 five years ago to €530 this year.
Interestingly, the pandemic years briefly reversed this trend. In 2021, when global travel was just beginning to rebound, visitors stayed longer—up to 8.8 days on average. Since then, the length of stay has gradually declined, suggesting that the tourism landscape has shifted in a more fundamental way.
Travel industry analysts see this as part of a broader trend. The increase in daily costs may be prompting visitors to trim the length of their trips. At the same time, Greece is becoming an increasingly popular destination for city breaks—short, urban-focused getaways. Athens in particular is gaining momentum as a hub for brief cultural escapes.
Meanwhile, the Greek hospitality sector is leaning into the premium market. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of five-star hotels in the country rose by 37%, growing from 610 to 835. Four-star accommodations increased by 14%, and three-star hotels by 9%. Lower-category hotels, however, have declined in number, indicating a shift toward more upscale offerings.
In terms of where visitors are coming from—and how much they're spending—Americans top the list. The average U.S. tourist in Greece now spends €1,022 per trip. They’re followed by the British (€697), Germans (€684), French (€633), and Italians (€604), all contributing significantly to the country’s tourism economy.
