Greece’s tourism sector posted strong growth in the first quarter of 2026, with travel receipts and inbound visitor numbers rising sharply and helping boost the country’s services surplus, according to provisional central bank data.
The balance of travel services recorded a surplus of 409.6 million euros (US$465 million) in March, up from 172.8 million euros in the same month last year. For the January-March period, the surplus widened to 928.4 million euros from 352.6 million euros a year earlier.
Travel receipts climbed 55.6% year-on-year in March to 669.4 million euros, while travel payments edged up 0.9% to 259.8 million euros. In the first three months of the year, receipts increased 64.3% to 1.68 billion euros, as payments rose 12% to 747.7 million euros.
The increase was driven by both higher visitor arrivals and stronger spending per trip. In March, inbound traveler flows rose 38.1%, while average expenditure per trip increased 13.8%. For the first quarter overall, arrivals increased 38.3% and average spending rose 19.9%.
A drone view shows a part of the caldera, during an increased seismic activity on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Net travel receipts offset 15.8% of Greece’s goods trade deficit in March and contributed nearly three-quarters of total net services receipts. During the first quarter, tourism revenues covered 11.4% of the goods deficit and accounted for more than 77% of net services receipts.
Receipts from European Union countries increased strongly in March, rising 56.6% to 347.8 million euros. Revenue from travelers from outside the EU also rose sharply, up 57.9% to 307.9 million euros.
Among Greece’s key tourism markets within the eurozone, receipts from German visitors rose 16.9% to 55.9 million euros, while receipts from Italian travelers more than doubled to 58.1 million euros. Revenue from French visitors was broadly unchanged at 15.8 million euros.
Outside the EU, receipts from British travelers rose 35.5% to 39.9 million euros, while revenue from U.S. visitors increased 42.8% to 80 million euros.
For the January-March period, receipts from Germany rose 6.6% to 122.5 million euros, while those from France increased 39.1% to 45.2 million euros. Receipts from Italy jumped 66.5% to 113.8 million euros.
Revenue from British visitors rose sharply to 213.3 million euros during the quarter, while receipts from US travelers increased 6% to 172.5 million euros.
Inbound travel also recorded substantial gains. Greece welcomed about 1.27 million visitors in March, up 38.1% from a year earlier. Airport arrivals increased 18.5%, while arrivals through road border crossings surged 85%, reflecting stronger regional travel demand.
Visitor numbers from EU countries rose 55.5% in March. Arrivals from Germany climbed 47.7% to 123,000 travelers, while arrivals from Italy rose 62% to nearly 76,000. British arrivals increased 36.9% to 85,800 visitors.
By contrast, arrivals from the United States fell 6.8% in March to 74,500 travelers, despite the rise in total spending by American tourists.
During the first quarter, inbound visitor numbers reached 3.4 million, compared with 2.46 million during the same period last year. Arrivals from the United Kingdom increased 49.3% to 250,000 visitors, while arrivals from the US declined 8.6% to 172,500.
