Sun, sea, and moments of relaxation. As summer draws closer, conversations across Greece increasingly turn to holiday plans and seaside escapes.

Yet the difficulties people face in their everyday lives now appear to be shaping even their summer breaks.

According to a survey conducted last year by the Institute of Retail Consumer Goods Research, 52% of respondents in 2025 said they did not plan to go on holiday at all. Another 48% said they did take holidays, but 33% of them escaped for fewer days than usual.

Meanwhile, 14% said they traveled as they do every year, while just 1% said they were able to rest for more days than in the past. The same picture appears likely to prevail this year as well.

And while summer remains synonymous with carefree moments for Greeks, economic reality now seems to determine not only the destination, but whether holidays will happen at all.

The coming months will show whether citizens will manage even a brief getaway — or whether this year’s summer holidays will remain nothing more than plans on paper.