Greek Tourism: €10 billion travel receipts and 14 million tourist visits in 2021

Based on provisional data, the balance of travel services in October 2021 showed a surplus of €1,267 million, up from a surplus of €490 million in October 2020. More specifically, travel receipts rose by 159.8% to €1,438 million in October 2021 from €554 million in October 2020, while travel payments also increased by 167.8% (October 2021: €171 million, October 2020: €64 million). The rise in travel receipts resulted from a 124.5% increase in inbound traveller flows and a 13.8% rise in average expenditure per trip. Net receipts from travel services offset 55.0% of the goods deficit and contributed 69.9% to total net receipts from services.

In January-October 2021, the balance of travel services showed a surplus of €9,300 million, up from a surplus of €3,491 million in the corresponding period of 2020. Travel receipts rose by €5,982 million or 142.0% to €10,196 million, while travel payments increased by €173 million or 23.9% to €896 million. The rise in travel receipts was due to a 93.8% increase in inbound traveller flows, as well as to a rise of 23.7% in average expenditure per trip. Net receipts from travel services offset 46.3% of the goods deficit and contributed 76.4% to total net receipts from services.

Travel receipts

In October 2021, as mentioned previously, travel receipts rose by 159.8% year-on-year. In more detail, receipts from residents of EU27 countries increased by 127.1% to €881 million, while receipts from outside the EU27 increased by 223.3% (October 2021: €526 million, October 2020: €163 million). The rise in receipts from within the EU27 was driven by increases in receipts from euro area residents by 122.2% to €789 million (October 2020: €355 million) and in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU27 countries by 179.8% to €92 million. More specifically, among major euro area countries of origin, receipts from Germany rose by 91.3% to €462 million and receipts from France increased by 77.4% to €90 million. Turning to non-EU27 countries, receipts from the United Kingdom rose by 124.6% to €224 million and receipts from the United States increased by 2,355.1% to €101 million. Receipts from Russia also increased, by 2,159.6% to €28 million.

In January-October 2021, travel receipts increased by 142.0% year-on-year to €10,196 million. This development was driven by a 138.6% increase in receipts from residents of the EU27, which rose to €6,694 million, and by a 135.5% rise in receipts from residents outside the EU27 to €3,299 million. In greater detail, receipts from euro area residents rose by 127.0% to €5,363 million, while receipts from residents of non-euro area EU27 countries increased by 200.4% to €1,331 million. In particular, receipts from Germany increased by 100.6% year-on-year to €2,244 million and receipts from France increased by 173.8% to €997 million. Turning to non-EU27 countries, receipts from the United Kingdom rose by 91.0% to €1,409 million, while receipts from the United States increased by 632.1% to €588 million. Receipts from Russia also increased, by 624.5% to €96 million.

Inbound traveller flows

The number of inbound travellers in October 2021 rose by 124.5% year-on-year to 2,144 thousand. Specifically, traveller flows through airports increased by 121.9% compared with October 2020 and traveller flows through road border-crossing points increased by 221.6%. This overall increase was due to higher traveller flows from both within the EU27 (up by 117.3%) and outside the EU27 (up by 140.9%). In greater detail, the number of travellers from within the euro area rose by 115.6% to 1,225 thousand, while travellers from non-euro area EU27 countries increased by 127.4% to 213 thousand. Specifically, the number of travellers from Germany increased by 71.0% to 669 thousand and travellers from France increased by 73.4% to 135 thousand. Turning to non-EU27 countries, the number of travellers from the United Kingdom rose by 54.7% to 310 thousand, while the number of travellers from the United States increased by 2,131.4% to 69 thousand and from Russia by 2,020.9% to 28 thousand.

In January-October 2021, the number of inbound travellers rose by 93.8% to 13,763 thousand (January-October 2020: 7,102 thousand). Specifically, traveller flows through airports increased by 103.6%, as did traveller flows through road border-crossing points, by 62.8%. In the period under review, the number of travellers from within the EU27 rose by 103.6% year-on-year to 9,673 thousand and travellers from outside the EU27 increased by 73.9% to 4,091 thousand. The number of travellers from within the euro area rose by 109.1%, while travellers from non-euro area EU27 countries increased by 90.5%. Specifically, travellers from Germany increased by 92.9% to 2,883 thousand and travellers from France increased by 146.8% to 1,141 thousand. Turning to non-EU27 countries, the number of travellers from the United Kingdom rose by 44.5% to 1,485 thousand, while the number of travellers from the United States increased by 265.9% to 365 thousand and from Russia by 286.4% to 94 thousand.

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