Greece stood head and shoulders above its Balkan neighbours in 2024’s tourism boom, attracting more than 40.7 million international visitors and earning €21.6 billion in travel receipts, surpassing its previous records.
Other Balkan countries also enjoyed growth—though on a smaller scale—with varying levels of revenue data available.
1. Greece
Greece remains the uncontested leader in regional tourism. According to final data from the Bank of Greece, the country welcomed 40.7 million visitors—a 12.8% increase over 2023—and generated €21.6 billion in total tourism revenue. The surplus in travel services reached €18.8 billion, buoyed by rising inbound receipts and modest domestic outflows.
While inbound trips climbed, average spending per trip declined by 7%, even as spending per overnight stay edged up 2.9% to €89.70. Cruise tourism was especially strong: cruise receipts rose 22.4% to €1.1 billion, with 7.8 million cruise passengers recorded.
Regionally, the Southern Aegean (€5.69 billion), Attica (€4.75 billion), Crete (€4.57 billion) and the Ionian Islands (€1.98 billion) generated nearly 90% of all travel receipts.
Tourism accounts for roughly 13% of Greek GDP, directly contributing €30.2 billion and supporting more than 700,000 seasonal jobs.
2. Croatia
Croatia continued to perform strongly with 21.3 million visitors in 2024—a 4% increase over 2023—backed by 108.7 million overnight stays (1% gain). Travel receipts totalled €13.2 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 1.7% year-on-year, according to the Tourism Ministry.
3. Bulgaria
Bulgaria registered 10.7 million visitors in the first nine months of 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic records. For the full year, arrivals were projected at around 13 million. Revenue from tourist taxes reached 2.1 billion leva (€1.07 billion) in the January–September period, while overall annual receipts are forecast to exceed 14 billion leva (€7.3 billion).
4. Albania
Albania posted robust growth, drawing approximately 11.7 million visitors in 2024, a 15% increase compared with 2023. Overnight stays rose by 24%, hitting 7.4 million. The central bank reported around €3.8 billion in receipts in the first nine months of the year.
5. Montenegro
Montenegro, one of the region’s smallest states, drew 2.6 million visitors in 2024, generating 15.6 million overnight stays, according to official data. While revenue figures have not yet been published, tourism typically accounts for more than 20% of the Adriatic country’s GDP.
6. Serbia
Serbia recorded 4.43 million tourist visits in 2024, of which 2.38 million were foreign arrivals, marking steady growth. Precise revenue data have not been released, but past figures suggest tourism contributes over $1.5 billion annually to the economy.
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomed 1.94 million tourists in 2024, up 10.4% year-on-year, with 4 million overnight stays (+9.8%). Authorities have not published comprehensive revenue data, though the sector remains a growing source of foreign currency inflows.
8. North Macedonia
North Macedonia posted 1.26 million visitors in 2024, a rise of nearly 8%. The country logged 2.7 million overnight stays, with Skopje and Ohrid remaining the main draws. Officials have not released full-year revenue data.
Tourism in the Balkans surged in 2024, led by Greece’s record-breaking performance and solid showings in Croatia, Bulgaria and Albania. Smaller economies such as Montenegro and Bosnia are also gaining traction, while Serbia and North Macedonia record steady growth.