New Eurobank Study Warns Greece Must Increase Their Per Visitor Spending Now To Sustain Its Long-term Tourism Growth

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Greece is 1 of nan world’s astir iconic destinations, universally known for its earthy beauty, taste practice and sun-kissed coastlines is making an world entreaty to seafarers and travelers to show aliases moreover get their most-prized possession, nan past isolated beaches. The tourism manufacture is emotion very bully astir visitant count but not excessively bully astir decreasing mean tourists’ expenses. According to a caller study by Eurobank “Tourism Pillar: Key Characteristics, Economic Impact, Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Proposals”, it is precocious clip that a caller communicative astir Greece’s tourism was shaped successful bid to unafraid sustainability successful nan agelong run.

Unpacking nan Visitor Spending Conundrum

On nan surface, nan numbers of visitors visiting Greece look promising, pinch arrivals by foreigners increasing by a beardown 7.1% a twelvemonth betwixt 2011 and 24. Just successful 2024, Greece hosted 40.7 cardinal overseas visitors, a fig proving erstwhile again it is 1 of nan astir celebrated recreation destinations. But down this headline-grabbing maturation is simply a concerning fact: mean walk per visitant fell from astir 640 euros successful 2011 to 530 euros successful 2024.

This diminution indicates that overmuch of nan emergence successful nan maturation of Greece’s tourism contribution, which roseate to 21.6 cardinal euros successful 2024 (or 9.1% of its GDP) does not travel from higher spending per traveler, but alternatively accrued numbers.

Tourism Patterns Shift: Visits Are Shorter, Spending Is Less

New trends successful world tourism bespeak nan changing tourer behavior: holidaymakers staying for shorter periods and spending less. This is astir notably felt successful municipality areas specified arsenic Athens, nan north, including Central Macedonia and Epirus, and nan short metropolis breaks recreation and nan emergence successful arrivals from neighboring Balkan countries relationship for nan ample portion of nan diminution successful spending.

Tourists are taking much frequent, shorter trips, and by quality spending little each clip they visit. A displacement that illuminates a strategical lever for repositioning successful Greece’s tourism trading and improvement attempts.

Environmental and Infrastructure Strains

Eurobank’s study highlights nan biology and infrastructural implications associated pinch amount complete value erstwhile it comes to visitors. Soaring tourer numbers put strain connected section infrastructures and ecologies, pinch nan effect that nan very value and authenticity that draws pilgrims is becomes diluted. Without a strategical overhaul, Greece is successful threat of damaging its earthy and taste jewels, cardinal elements of its world tourism draw.

Sustainable High Value Tourism : A Strategy Document

The authors elaborate a bid of proposals that if implemented, will lead Greece successful nan early to go a competitive, precocious added worth sustainable tourer destination.

Strict Enforcement of Construction Laws

Save Greece’s precious situation and nan historical sites of nan cradle of populist from unlawful development.

Harmonious Tourism Facility Development

Control nan building and maturation of tourism accommodation to support them successful harmony pinch nan situation and to conserve ecological balance.

Premium Hospitality Investments

Promote developments of luxury hotels and resorts that target premium travelers, who are prepared to walk much for their premium vacation experience.

Public Space and Environmental Upgrades

Improve nan value of nan nationalist spaces, focusing connected nan cleanliness, information and sustainability, successful bid to pull visitors of higher added value.

Workforce Skill Development

Professional training for nan hospitality workforce to heighten nan value of nan services being provided, summation labor salary and build a skilled hospitality workforce.

Diversification into Alternative Tourism

Develop and support alternate to wide tourism, specified arsenic taste tourism, cultivation tourism, eco-tourism and accelerated way wellness tourism pinch a position to securing and hosting visitors who are affluent.

Embracing Green Practices

Support tourer businesses which are pursuing sustainable practices – recycling, redeeming power aliases sourcing from nan section community.

Regulation of Short-term Rentals

Control and modulate short-term lettings markets successful bid to stifling lodging ostentation and fostering sustainable maturation successful tourism that benefits our communities.

Climate Adaptation and Seasonal Spread

Develop innovative responses to ambiance done adjustment actions and incentives that stimulate off-peak recreation and mitigate nan effect of seasonality and ensuring economical benefits passim nan year.

The Economic and Social Mandate for Change

Greece has had beardown tourism integrated growth, but nan video emphasizes nan urgency of moving from wide tourism to a value-added approach. If it tin reclaim immoderate of its agrarian countryside, it tin amended protect its each important tourism manufacture from biology degradation and economical tumult.

This strategical displacement will not only reenforce Greece arsenic a resilient system but besides arsenic a destination pinch a sustainable early tourism aspect. It makes a compelling plea to policymakers, manufacture players, and section communities to activity together to create a tourism manufacture that provides lasting worth and prosperity for generations.