Northern Greece and Thessaloniki are looking ahead to 2026 with what Greece's tourism research body describes as "restrained optimism", despite an increasingly uncertain global backdrop.
A new report by the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation, titled "Developments in the global economy and in the countries of origin of inbound tourists to Greece", argues that Greece's core markets are showing "remarkable resilience" amid heightened geopolitical risks. The combination of steady consumption in key source countries, easing energy costs and maintained air connectivity is shaping "positive, albeit fragile, prospects" for the year ahead.
The EU-20 economy is forecast to grow by 1.4% in 2026, with private consumption rising by 1.2%. For Greece, eurozone countries remain crucial. In 2025, the country recorded 9.9 billion euros in tourism receipts from euro area markets, accounting for 41.7% of total tourism revenues, including cruises, up 4% year-on-year. International air arrivals from eurozone countries increased by 3.8%.
Germany and the United Kingdom continue to act as heavyweight markets. German visitors generated 3.8 billion euros in 2025, 16% of total revenues, with air arrivals up 5.8%. The UK market showed even stronger momentum, with receipts reaching 3.7 billion euros, 15.8% of the total, marking an 18.5% rise. France is also expected to expand modestly, with Greece taking in 1.3 billion euros from French travellers.
Northern Greece loses ground as tourism boom flows south
European markets could prove decisive in sustaining inbound demand, as tourism growth in northern Greece has lagged that of southern Greece. Data from the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation comparing 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, with 2024 show a dramatic geographic shift in where foreign visitors are spending their money. While overall tourism has rebounded strongly, the lion's share of growth has gone to Attica, the South Aegean islands and Crete, leaving much of northern Greece with a weaker economic footprint despite visible increases in visitor numbers.
