Germany, the UK, and Bulgaria emerged as the top tourism source markets for Greece in 2023, as per data released by INSETE, the Greek Tourism Confederation’s research body.
Last year, Greece welcomed 5 million German tourists, showing a 7% increase from 2022. The UK followed with 4.8 million visitors, marking a 1.5% growth, while Bulgaria saw a significant surge of 56% with 2.9 million tourists.
Other key markets for Greece included Italy, France, the US, Romania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Albania. Notably, France experienced a slight decline of 1% compared to the previous year.
The regions that stood out for high spending per capita in 2023 were Crete, the South Aegean Region, and the North Aegean Region. Overall, Greece welcomed 36.13 million visitors across its 13 regions, showing a notable 15.2% increase from 2022.
Region-wise, Epirus reported the highest growth rate of 58.1% in visitor numbers. The total number of nights spent in Greece in 2023 increased by 5.1% to 227.9 million. However, most regions experienced a decrease in nights spent, except for Epirus which saw a significant rise of 35.9%.
Crete emerged as the leader in terms of tourism revenue, generating 19.74 billion euros in 2023, reflecting a 14.4% increase from the previous year. The island also recorded the highest growth in travel receipts at 41.9% and the highest spending per visitor at 941 euros, up by 31.5% from 2022. On the other hand, Epirus reported the lowest expenditure per visitor at 193 euros, showing a decrease in spending.
