US visitors rise, spend more

The number of US tourists visiting Greece has increased substantially, to the point where they are about to displace the French in absolute numbers this year, behind the Germans and the British.

Moreover, US tourists tend to stay longer and spend more than others.

From 2013 to 2023, the number of US visitors rose from 466,500 to 1.4 million; this year, so far, arrivals from the US at Athens Airport are up 7% on last year and growing.

This is, to a large extent, due to the growth of direct flights: Airplane seat capacity has increased 118% since 2019, according to Athens International Airport data. This summer alone, seat capacity has grown 25.3%, according to INSETE, an institute founded by four professional tourist associations.

The size of the US market, Greece's rising reputation over there, and the relative strength of the dollar compared to the euro...