Last year, Greece’s tourism revenue decreased by 6.5% to EUR 13.207 billion, even though the number of tourists increased by 7.5%, according to data published by the Bank of Greece, BoG.
Revenue obtained from non-EU visitors decreased in 2016 by 14.6% to EUR 3.652 billion, while revenue obtained from EU residents recorded a decline of 3.3% to EUR 9.097 billion.
Regarding revenue recorded from German visitors, it decreased by 5.2% to EUR 2.128 billion. In the case of France and the UK, the decline was 25.6% to EUR 889 million and 3.7% to EUR 1.944 billion, respectively.
Outside the EU, revenue obtained from Russian visitors increased by 3.5% to EUR 436 million, and in the case of the USA, a decrease of 22.8% to EUR 728 million was recorded.
Last year, Greece was visited by 28.071 million foreign tourists, 7.5% more than the previous year, when there were 26.114 million foreign visitors.
The number of EU tourists increased by 15% in 2016, representing 61.3% of total foreign visitors, while the number of non-EU tourists decreased by 12.1%, representing 27% of total foreign visitors.
Germany is the main country of origin for foreign tourists in Greece, with 3.139 million visitors, an increase of 11.7% compared to 2015, followed by the UK with 2.895 million tourists and a 20.8% increase compared to the previous year, and France with 1.314 million tourists, a decrease of 13.7% compared to the previous year.
Outside the EU, the number of tourists from Russia increased by 16.1% to 596,000, and the number of visitors from the USA increased by 3.8% to 779,000.
Source: Economica
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Greece’s tourism revenue decrease in 2016?
Greece’s tourism revenue fell by 6.5% in 2016, totaling 13.207 billion EUR.
Did the number of visitors to Greece increase in 2016?
Yes, the number of foreign tourists grew by 7.5%, reaching a total of 28.071 million visitors.
Which country provided the most tourists to Greece in 2016?
Germany was the leading country of origin, with 3.139 million tourists visiting Greece.