Μake us preferred on Google Greece is outperforming its main Mediterranean tourism rivals so far in 2026, at least in terms of inbound travel. While Spain continues to break records, its growth rate has slowed significantly. Portugal is posting modest gains, Croatia remains close to last year’s levels, and Turkey has slipped into negative territory.
In the first half of 2026, Greece recorded 13.49 million inbound travelers, up from 11.69 million in the same period last year, representing a 15.4% increase, according to the Bank of Greece. Travel receipts also rose by 14.8%. In June alone, arrivals increased by 6.9%, although average spending per trip fell by 6.2%.
The headline growth, however, comes with an important distinction. Air arrivals rose by 7.3%, while arrivals through road border crossings surged by 49.3%. This means the overall 15.4% increase was driven substantially by road tourism from neighboring Balkan markets. Even so, the 7.3% rise in air arrivals remains a particularly strong performance.
European travelers are providing a major boost to the Greek market. Arrivals from EU countries increased by 19.3% during the first half of the year. Visitors from Germany rose by 10.4%, those from Italy by 17.9%, and arrivals from the United Kingdom by 10.4%. France recorded a marginal decline of 0.4%, while arrivals from the United States fell by 5.4%.
Spain, the Mediterranean’s largest tourism market, is also continuing to grow. The country welcomed 46.57 million international tourists in the first half of the year, a 4.6% increase from 2025.
Monthly figures, however, show that growth has not been consistent. After a strong 9.5% increase in May, Spain recorded 9.75 million tourists in June, up just 2.9% year on year. This does not indicate a contraction in demand, but rather a clear moderation in the pace of growth.
Turkey is facing a more challenging picture. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the country received 27.86 million foreign visitors between January and July, down 2.29% from the same period in 2025. In July, around 7.1 million foreign visitors arrived, with the decline narrowing to just 0.27%, suggesting some stabilization after sharper losses earlier in the year.
Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom remain Turkey’s three main source markets.
Portugal’s tourism sector, meanwhile, continues to grow at a slow but positive pace. According to the Tourism Outlook – July 2026, published on August 31 by Turismo de Portugal using data from the National Statistics Institute, Banco de Portugal and Portuguese airports, the country’s accommodation establishments welcomed 3.4 million guests in July, 1% more than in the same month last year.
The official data therefore do not point to a uniform Mediterranean tourism boom. Against this backdrop, Greece stands out, with inbound travel up 15.4% overall and air arrivals rising by 7.3%.
