Europeans are firmly embracing the trend of choosing their own countries for holidays, a pattern that is also clearly reflected in the travel behaviour of Greek travellers. In fact, Greeks show an even stronger preference for domestic tourism than the European average, according to Eurostat ’s final data for 2024.
According to official data from the European Statistical Office for 2024, Greek residents took a total of 7.23 million trips, spending €3.42 billion and recording 69.23 million overnight stays.
While almost three in four trips (71%) at European level are made within travellers’ country of residence, the figure is even higher in Greece. Specifically, 84.7% of all trips taken by Greek residents (6.12 million) were domestic, while just 15.3% (1.10 million) were trips abroad.
When it comes to overnight stays, 88.1% were recorded within Greece (60.96 million nights), compared with just 11.9% abroad.
On the economic front, total travel spending by Greek residents reached €3.42 billion. Of this, 72.1% (€2.46 billion) was spent on domestic travel, while the remaining 27.9% (€956 million) was allocated to trips abroad, reflecting the broader international trend of overseas travel generally being more expensive.
The Top 5 Destinations Chosen by Greeks Abroad
When Greeks choose to travel outside the country, the five destinations that top their choices are:
- Italy: Italy ranks as the leading destination both in terms of the number of trips, accounting for 14.4% of all trips abroad, and spending, absorbing 13.2% of total spending by Greeks overseas.
- Albania: Albania takes the lion’s share of overnight stays, accounting for 15.7% of nights spent by Greeks abroad, while also ranking as the second most popular destination by number of trips (10.4%).
- United Kingdom: The UK remains a firm favourite among Greek travellers, accounting for 7.8% of trips, 8.9% of overnight stays and 10% of the money spent by Greeks abroad.
- Turkey & Germany: Turkey and Germany complete the top five destinations chosen by Greeks travelling abroad. Turkey accounts for 7.6% of trips, while Germany, despite accounting for 6.1% of trips, attracted 6.1% of overnight stays and 5.4% of total spending.
Domestic tourism leads across Europe
The domestic market remains the main driver of European tourism, according to Eurostat’s final data for 2024. During the year, EU residents took a total of 1.2 billion trips for personal or business purposes, recording almost 6 billion overnight stays, while total tourism expenditure reached an impressive €618 billion.
According to the data analysis, almost three in four trips (71%) were domestic – that is, trips taken within travellers’ country of residence. However, in terms of overnight stays and expenditure, domestic trips accounted for 55% and 42% of the total, respectively. This gap reflects the fact that domestic trips tend to be shorter and less expensive.
The domestic market proved to be the dominant one in the vast majority of EU member states, with the only exceptions being Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia.
Where Do Europeans Travel When They Go Abroad?
International trips by Europeans in 2024 largely became an “internal affair” for Southern Europe, with Italy and Spain absorbing the lion’s share of travel demand. More specifically, the majority of Europeans who chose to travel outside their home country in 2024 headed to Italy and Spain.
According to Eurostat’s final data, 29% of all trips taken by Europeans were international – 21% to another EU country and 8% outside the EU – with geographical proximity emerging as a key factor in destination choice.
Italy emerged as the number one destination in terms of the number of trips, accounting for 10.7% of all trips abroad, with Spain following close behind at 10.4%. However, Spain took the lead in terms of overnight stays (11.7%) and tourism expenditure (11.1%), leaving Italy in second place with 10.2% and 9.7%, respectively.
Italy proved to be the clear favourite among Maltese travellers (36.3%), Romanians (19.3%), Italians travelling outside their home region (18.4%), Greeks (14.4%) and Germans (13.8%). Spain, meanwhile, was the preferred destination for Portuguese travellers (39.5%), French travellers (17.3%) and Italians (16.3%).
Overall, almost three in four trips abroad (73%) remained within the EU, with the powerful Top 3 – Spain, Italy and France – accounting for 46% of total overnight stays abroad.
UK, Turkey and Switzerland Top Europeans’ Travel Choices Outside the EU
When Europeans choose to travel outside the European Union, they consistently favour countries located within the wider European region. According to Eurostat’s final data for 2024, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Switzerland formed the top three most popular non-EU destinations in terms of the absolute number of trips.
By contrast, long-haul destinations outside the European continent accounted for a much smaller share of the travel market, representing just 13.1% of all trips abroad.
More specifically, Africa accounted for 4.5% of Europeans’ trips abroad, Asia for 4.2%, while the Americas followed closely behind at 4.1%.
As Eurostat analysts point out, these transatlantic and intercontinental travel flows do not involve all EU member states equally. Instead, they are driven primarily by a small number of source markets that have traditionally maintained strong ties with these destinations.
