The queue to the Acropolis. Overcrowding next to undeveloped areas. Photo: Amit Cotler As Greece heads into another record year in tourism, the government research institute INSETE has published very interesting and impressive data regarding the previous year, 2025, a year that marked historic highs in all key indicators and solidified Greece's position as one of the world's leading and most sought-after destinations.
On the other hand, the report also reveals difficult problems that the country is still unable to deal with.
On the positive side, in 2025 Greece recorded approximately 37.98 million visitors (excluding cruises) along with a record revenue of approximately €22.6 billion. The cruise sector, separately, showed an impressive increase with 5.33 million visitors and approximately €1 billion in revenue.
At the peak of the season, tourism provided approximately 475,000 direct jobs, accounting for approximately 10.8% of total employment in the country, with particularly high satisfaction from visitors (average score of 9.1 out of 10).
Despite the positive data, the report points to deep structural problems. There is a serious imbalance in the distribution of tourism.
While certain hotspots suffer from overload and crowding during the peak season, most areas of the country remain undeveloped in terms of tourism. In addition, the industry faces challenges in public infrastructure, water resource management, air and land congestion, and high taxes.
Crete. Large gaps between tourist areas in Greece. Photo: SHUTTERSTOCKOn the environmental front, only 8% of hotels are "green," meaning they hold official sustainability certification, and most have not yet set clear goals for reducing emissions by 2030.
In the field of human resources, alongside an improvement in the quality of employment (such as reducing undeclared work), there is a shortage of skilled workers and only a minority of employees are graduates of specialized tourism schools.
The report emphasizes that facing the future requires deep digital transformation, including preparing for the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and adapting to new generations of travelers (such as Generation Z and Generation Alpha) who are looking for personalized experiences.
Upgrading infrastructure, establishing regional destination management bodies, extending the tourist season, and promoting thematic tourism (culinary tourism and culture-based tourism) are key to ensuring the durability and longevity of Greece's tourism brand in the years to come.