Bank of Greece figures show Greece’s tourism surplus rose sharply in February 2026, as travel receipts and visitor spending posted strong gains. Credit: Greek Reporter
Greece’s tourism sector turned in a strong performance in February 2026, with the country’s travel surplus posting a sharp year-over-year increase, according to provisional data from the Bank of Greece.
The tourism surplus rose to €284.8 million ($292 million) in February 2026, up from €89 million ($104 million) in the same month last year. Higher travel receipts and stronger inbound visitor flows drove the increase.
Greece’s tourism surplus widens sharply in February
Tourism revenues climbed 83.2% year-over-year to €533.4 million ($626 million), while travel payments also increased, rising 23% to €248.6 million ($291 million).
A 44.5% increase in inbound travel, combined with a 28.7% rise in average spending per trip, lifted receipts significantly. Net receipts from travel services made up nearly 86% of total net services revenues during the month.
First two months show solid momentum
In the January-February 2026 period, Greece’s tourism balance posted a surplus of €518.8 million ($609 million), compared with €179.8 million ($211 million) in the same period of 2025.
During the first two months of the year, travel receipts rose 70.7% to just over €1 billion ($1.17 billion), while travel payments increased 19% to €487.9 million ($572 million).
A 38.5% increase in inbound travel and a 24.2% rise in average spending per visitor drove revenue growth during the period. Travel services generated nearly 79% of total net services receipts.
Strong demand across EU and non-EU markets
In February alone, receipts from travelers from EU countries surged 95.1% year-over-year to €253.2 million ($297 million).
At the same time, revenues from non-EU visitors rose 78.2% to €269.6 million ($316 million), highlighting broad-based demand across Greece’s key tourism markets.
The latest figures show that Greek tourism has started 2026 on strong footing, as higher visitor numbers and stronger per-trip spending significantly boosted the country’s travel surplus.