Tourists prefer to spend on dining and entertainment

Tourism spending in Greece increased by 14% in the period from October 2023 to September 2024 compared to previous 12-month period, according to Visa.

This is much more than the increase of 4.1% shown for the first nine months of 2024 by the Bank of Greece data, which are collected on a sample basis by questionnaires distributed at the country's entry and exit gates, such as airports.

It is also an indication that actual tourist receipts may be much higher than those recorded officially, which this year are expected to approach 22 billion euros. "Visitor spending in Greece has shown a strong 14% increase year-on-year, while the number of cards used has also increased by 16%," Sevi Vasileva, Visa's general manager for Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Israel, tells Kathimerini, revealing additional data from the annual analysis she compiles on Mediterranean tourism. This is...