Bank of Greece: travel receipts jump 55.6% in March

The data is of particular significance as March was the month during which new geopolitical tensions emerged in Iran, although no direct impact on tourist flows to Greece has so far been observed. According to the Bank of Greece (BoG), the travel balance in March 2026 recorded a surplus of €409.6 million, more than double the €172.8 million recorded in the same month of 2025.

Travel receipts increased by 55.6%, reaching €669.4 million, compared with €430.3 million a year earlier. At the same time, travel payments edged up marginally by 0.9%, reaching €259.8 million.

The increase in revenues was driven by two main factors:

• a 38.1% rise in inbound tourist traffic
• a 13.8% increase in average expenditure per trip

Net receipts from tourism services covered 15.8% of the goods trade deficit and accounted for 73.8% of total net receipts from services.

First quarter increase of 64.3%

At the first-quarter level, the picture is even stronger.

During the period January–March 2026, the travel balance recorded a surplus of €928.4 million, compared with €352.6 million in the same period of 2025.

Travel receipts increased by 64.3%, reaching €1.676 billion, while payments stood at €747.7 million, recording a 12% increase.

This development is attributed to:

• a 38.3% increase in inbound tourist traffic
• a 19.9% increase in average expenditure per trip

Italy and the United States provided strong support

Regarding key source markets, performance varied by country.

In March:

• Receipts from Germany increased by 16.9% to €55.9 million
• Receipts from France declined marginally by 0.3%
• Italy recorded a sharp increase of 100.4%, reaching €58.1 million
• The United Kingdom posted a 35.5% increase
• The United States recorded a 42.8% increase, reaching €80 million

At the quarterly level, receipts from the United Kingdom reached €213.3 million, while those from the United States stood at €172.5 million.

Strong rise in arrivals

Inbound tourist traffic in March reached 1.27 million visitors, up 38.1% compared with the previous year.

By entry mode:

• Airport arrivals increased by 18.5%
• Road border crossings recorded a sharp rise of 85%

The largest increase came from EU countries, up 55.5%, while arrivals from non-EU countries increased by 22.3%.

These figures reinforce expectations that 2026 is starting on a positive trajectory for Greek tourism, as the country appears to be recording growth not only in visitor numbers but also in average tourist spending — a factor considered crucial for the sector’s overall contribution to the economy.