Greece recorded further growth in its tourism sector in May, with arrivals and overnight stays increasing across hotels, campsites and short-stay accommodation compared with the same month in 2025.
According to figures released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), tourist accommodation facilities recorded 4,000,538 arrivals and 15,823,095 overnight stays in May. Arrivals increased by 2.9%, while overnight stays rose by 2.7% compared with May 2025.
Foreign visitors remained the main driver of tourism activity, with international arrivals increasing by 3% and overnight stays rising by 2.7%. Domestic tourism also recorded growth, with Greek residents increasing their arrivals by 2.5% and overnight stays by 2.7%.
Foreign travellers accounted for the majority of tourism activity, representing 82% of total arrivals and 89.8% of overnight stays across all accommodation categories. The average length of stay in Greek tourist accommodation reached four days during May.
Why it matters
The sustained growth in both arrivals and overnight stays signals robust demand for Greek destinations, reinforcing the country's position as a leading Mediterranean tourism market. The heavy reliance on international visitors—nearly 90% of overnight stays—exposes the sector to external shocks such as geopolitical tensions or economic downturns in source markets. For travel trade professionals, the data underscores the importance of diversifying source markets and investing in year-round offerings to reduce seasonality. The 2.5% uptick in domestic travel also suggests that local demand is contributing to overall resilience, which could inform marketing strategies for regional competitors seeking to balance international and domestic traffic.
