Greece Set for Another Record Tourism Year in 2025 Despite Labour Shortages

Greece is on course for “another record year” for tourism in 2025, even as labour shortages continue to affect one of the country’s most important economic sectors, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said on Sunday.

According to data from the Bank of Greece published in late November, the Mediterranean country welcomed 31.6 million visitors between January and the end of September, a four percent increase compared with the same period in 2024. Greece remains a top destination for travellers drawn to its sun-soaked islands and rich archaeological heritage.

“Overall, we expect 2025 to be another record year for tourism in our country,” Kefalogianni said in an interview with Greek news agency ANA.

The conservative minister also expressed optimism for 2026, saying early indicators suggest continued strong performance. “The indicators for 2026 are already particularly encouraging and allow us to be optimistic,” she said.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Greece has consistently broken annual records in both tourism revenues and foreign arrivals. In 2024 alone, the country received 40.7 million visitors, an increase of 12.8 percent compared with 2023.

However, the tourism boom has also raised concerns. Unchecked construction in popular destinations has sparked criticism, while residents in Athens and other cities have complained that the spread of short-term holiday rentals has driven rents sharply higher.

The sector also faces growing challenges from climate change, with increasingly intense heatwaves and destructive wildfires threatening tourism infrastructure and seasonal travel patterns. Despite these risks, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promoted tourism as a key pillar of economic recovery since taking office in 2019 following Greece’s financial crisis.

According to the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE), tourism directly accounted for around 13 percent of Greece’s GDP in 2024 and indirectly contributed more than 30 percent of total economic output.