Almost 13.5 million overseas visitors arrived in the first half of 2026, with UK holidaymakers up more than 10 per cent despite a sharp slowdown in June

Britons have been flocking to Greece in growing numbers this year as the country welcomed almost 13.5 million overseas visitors in the first six months of 2026.

Preliminary figures published by the Bank of Greece on Friday show inbound tourism jumped 15.4 per cent between January and June compared with the same period last year, while holiday spending rose 14.8 per cent to €8.8bn.

The UK remained one of Greece’s biggest holiday markets, with almost 1.68 million British visitors making the trip during the six months – up 10.4 per cent year on year. They spent €1.18bn, an increase of 8.5 per cent.

But the figures also suggest British demand cooled sharply as the peak summer season approached. In June alone, UK arrivals fell 12 per cent to 713,800, while spending by British visitors plunged 26.1 per cent to €442.9m.

Across all nationalities, Greece still welcomed 4.92 million visitors in June, 6.9 per cent more than a year earlier. But tourism revenues grew by only 1.2 per cent to €3.48bn because average spending per trip fell 6.2 per cent.

The Bank of Greece said the same pattern was visible across the first half of the year, with the 14.8 per cent rise in tourism receipts driven by the surge in visitor numbers while average spending per trip slipped 0.6 per cent.

Italian holidaymakers recorded some of the strongest growth, with visitor numbers up 17.9 per cent and spending soaring 31.1 per cent. German arrivals rose 10.4 per cent, although their spending fell 6.3 per cent, while French visitor numbers slipped 0.4 per cent and spending dropped 7.4 per cent.

The tourism boom helped Greece generate a €6.93bn travel surplus during the first six months of 2026, up from €6.01bn a year earlier.

READ MORE: Why Greece’s recovery depends on deeper EU economic integration. As Greece emerges from a decade of crisis, renewed debate over deeper EU economic integration has direct implications for investment, capital markets and financial resilience. Christina Georgaki, founder and managing partner of Georgaki and Partners Law Firm, assesses what closer alignment could mean for Greece and the wider bloc.

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