Greece among Europe’s top tourism destinations, new data show

According to new Eurostat data, the European tourism market continues to expand, albeit at a slower pace, with international demand making an increasingly significant contribution to overall growth.

European tourism reached a new record high in the first half of 2026, with the number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments across the EU reaching 1.321 billion, compared with 1.299 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

The 1.7% increase, equivalent to approximately 21.8 million additional overnight stays, may be modest in percentage terms, but it brings the European market to its highest-ever level for the first half of a year.

International visitors accounted for 645.4 million overnight stays, up 2.5% year-on-year, while nights spent by domestic residents increased by just 0.9%, reaching 675.7 million. Nearly three out of every four additional overnight stays generated in Europe came from international travellers.

Greece behind only Spain and Italy

Between April and June 2026, international visitors recorded 40.8 million overnight stays in Greece. This was the third-highest figure in the European Union, behind Spain with 91.7 million and Italy with 91.1 million international overnight stays.

The three countries collectively accounted for 223.7 million of the EU’s total 425.4 million international overnight stays during the second quarter. In other words, more than half of Europe’s inbound tourism, measured by nights spent in tourist accommodation, was concentrated in Spain, Italy and Greece.

850 million overnight stays in three months

Overall, 849.8 million overnight stays were recorded across the EU during the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 1.2%, or 9.9 million nights, compared with the same quarter of 2025.

Italy and Spain also dominated the overall market, with 148 million and 142 million overnight stays respectively. Approximately one in every three nights spent in the EU during the quarter was recorded in these two countries.

Growth, however, was uneven. Eighteen of the 27 EU member states recorded an increase, with Lithuania (+9.8%), Malta (+9%), Ireland (+5.7%) and Poland (+5%) registering the strongest growth rates.

Over the first half of the year, Ireland (+14.6%), Malta (+9.9%) and Slovakia (+5.9%) led the market, while nine countries recorded declines. The sharpest decrease was recorded in Cyprus (-7.7%), a development Eurostat attributes mainly to an 8.2% decline in overnight stays by international visitors.

Short-stay accommodation gains ground

Hotels and similar accommodation establishments continue to dominate the market, accounting for 61.6% of all overnight stays in the second quarter. However, overnight stays in this category increased by only 0.9%.

By contrast, holiday and short-stay accommodation, which accounts for 24.1% of the market, recorded growth of 2.8%, adding approximately 5.5 million overnight stays over the course of a year. Campsites, with a 14.4% market share, remained broadly unchanged.

Greece’s tourism challenge: strong international demand and seasonality

For Greece, the high dependence on international demand increases the exposure of the country’s tourism economy to geopolitical developments, air connectivity and changes in disposable income across key source markets.

Seasonality also remains a significant challenge. Eurostat data for 2025 show that Greece recorded approximately 33.9 million overnight stays in August alone, compared with just 1.66 million in January. The peak month therefore recorded more than 20 times as many overnight stays as the weakest month of the year.