The Bank of Greece released final 2024 balance of travel services data showing a surplus of EUR 18,787.0 million, up 3.4% from 2023. Travel receipts rose by EUR 998.7 million (4.8%) to EUR 21,592.3 million, exceeding a EUR 373.6 million (15.4%) increase in travel payments, alongside a 12.8% rise in non-resident inbound travellers to 40,693.9 thousand and a 1.9% increase in total overnight stays to 240,816.6 thousand. Receipts growth was driven by EU27 residents, up 7.1% to EUR 11,966.1 million (55.4% of total), while receipts from other countries increased 0.6% to EUR 8,625.6 million. Average expenditure per overnight stay rose 2.9% to EUR 89.7, but average expenditure per trip fell 7.0% to EUR 530.6 as the average length of stay declined 9.6% to 5.9 nights. By origin, receipts increased from Germany (EUR 3,702.0 million), Italy (EUR 1,225.5 million) and the United States (EUR 1,583.8 million), but declined from France (EUR 1,259.6 million), the United Kingdom (EUR 3,159.8 million) and Russia (EUR 15.7 million); personal travel accounted for 93.5% of receipts, while business travel receipts rose 27.3% and increased their share to 6.5%. Cruise receipts, compiled from the Border Survey and the Bank of Greece’s Cruise Survey covering 16 ports and 86.3% of arrivals, rose 22.4% to EUR 1,112.2 million, with Piraeus accounting for 48.5% of cruise receipts. Cruise ship arrivals increased to 5,308 and passenger visits rose 12.4% to 7,826.4 thousand, with 81.2% of passengers classed as transit visitors and an average of 1.6 stopovers. Regionally, Attica recorded the most visits (8,784.8 thousand), while the Southern Aegean accounted for the largest share of both travel receipts (EUR 5,687.4 million) and overnight stays (51,269.3 thousand).

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