Greeks spent more than 2.8 billion euros on trips abroad last year, showing an increase of 15%, compared to 2023, according to the data of INSETE (Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation SETE) for the outbound travel movement of 2024, which attribute the increased desire of Greeks to travel due to the improvement of the economic climate.
Although this is the highest level recorded since the beginning of this specific survey in 2005, the number of departures and overnight stays is not following the same pace of spending and is even lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Specifically, last year there were 6.7 million departures abroad, an 8% increase from 2023, and 34.5 million overnight stays, a 1% decrease from 2023.
Based on departures data, 2024 saw a slight increase in destinations that have traditionally required higher spending, such as Germany, the UK, Italy, France and the Netherlands, from 27% in 2023 to 28% in 2024, while the respective popular low-cost tourist destinations of Bulgaria and Turkey decreased from 26% in 2023 to 22% in 2024.
Travel to Eurozone countries compared to other countries has increased in general since 2023. In particular, departures increased by 15%, overnight stays by 5% and payments by 19%.
According to INSETE data, the average per capita expenditure increased to 420 euros in 2024 from 393 euros the previous year, while per night it amounted to 81 euros, an annual increase of 17%, from 70 euros.
Nevertheless, the length of stay decreased from 5.6 nights in 2023 to 5.2 nights, either because Greeks are now choosing more expensive destinations or because they prefer more expensive types of travel.
