An annual tourism survey for 2025, conducted by GBR Consulting on behalf of the Thessaloniki Hotels Association, indicates consistently high visitor satisfaction and strong repeat demand for Greece's second-largest city.
According to the findings, 91% of visitors say they would return, while 96% would recommend the destination. Overall satisfaction is rated at 7.8 out of 10.
The data shows that Thessaloniki attracts visitors for a mix of leisure and cultural reasons. Around half of tourists visit primarily for leisure. Gastronomy is cited by 35% of respondents as a key motivation, followed by nightlife (32%), archaeological sites (31%) and shopping (30%). Smaller shares mention the city's "personality" (27%), events (13%), or affordability (11%), while 15% use Thessaloniki as a stopover on the way to another destination. The survey also reports that six in ten visitors have already returned to the city at least once.
In terms of travel patterns, 34% of visitors travel with a partner, 22% travel alone, and a similar share travels with friends. Smaller proportions visit with family or colleagues. The largest age group is 36-45, which the survey notes tends to spend more on dining, experiences and shopping.
Entertainment and leisure receive the highest satisfaction score at 8.5, a level that has remained broadly stable since 2015. Shopping is rated 8.3, while museums and cultural sites are rated 8. This marks a decline compared with 8.6 a decade earlier, although the rating had already fallen to 7.9 in 2024. Visitors also rate local residents positively, giving them 8.4 for behaviour, though this is lower than 9.1 recorded in 2019.
Hotel facilities score highly at 8.6, while value for money is rated slightly lower. Lower scores are recorded for events and activities (7.8), taxi services (7.3) and safety (7). The latter has fluctuated over time, falling from 7.4 in 2015 to 6.5 in 2019 before recovering to 7 in 2025.
When asked how they would spend an additional day in the city, 42% of respondents said they would explore another area, 30% would visit another cultural site, and 29% would spend time along the waterfront.
Average daily spending reached 93 euros in 2025, up 7% from 2024 and 39% from 2015. According to the survey, this increase reflects rising prices rather than increased spending capacity. Daily expenditure is distributed across food (28 euros), shopping (28 euros), attractions and entertainment (19 euros), and other categories (19 euros), excluding accommodation and transport.
The survey also highlights differences by nationality. American visitors, 43% of whom are aged 55 or older, spend an average of 91 euros per day and rate the city at 8.1, above the overall average. Most (69%) visit for leisure, and 58% say they would visit another attraction if they had more time. Turkish visitors spend an average of 88 euros per day, with 79% visiting for leisure. They rate the city 8.2 overall and give bars and cafes particularly high scores (9.2). Nearly half (48%) are aged 36-54.
by Lina Tsireka - adapted from Greek by Vassia Barba
