Despite heightened geopolitical tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, Greece’s tourism industry continued to expand in the first half of 2026, reinforcing its position as the region’s leading destination and outperforming most Western Balkan countries.
According to the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE), international air arrivals increased 3.8% year-on-year to 10.7 million between January and June, while June alone recorded 4.1 million arrivals, up 2% from the same month last year.
The sector’s financial performance was even stronger. Data from the Bank of Greece showed tourism receipts reached €5.3 billion during January-May, a 25.8% increase compared with the same period in 2025. Revenue from non-EU visitors rose 36.9%, while receipts from EU travellers increased 18%. British tourists generated the highest revenue at €2.4 billion, followed by German visitors with €761 million and Americans with €539 million.
Compared with its neighbours, Greece remains by far the region’s largest tourism market. Croatia, the Adriatic’s other tourism powerhouse, recorded 7.6 million tourist arrivals and 29.5 million overnight stays during the first six months of 2026, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. Albania has continued its strong tourism expansion, with the national statistics office reporting 2.08 million entries of Albanian and foreign citizens in June alone, although consolidated tourism figures for the first half of the year have not yet been published. In North Macedonia, official statistics recorded 52,943 tourists and 103,983 overnight stays in January, representing a 6.2% annual increase in tourist arrivals, while first-half totals are still pending. Serbia has reported continued monthly growth in tourism during 2026, driven by visitors from neighbouring countries as well as Türkiye and Russia, but has yet to release consolidated January-June data. Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina have also not yet published official first-half tourism statistics, although both expect another strong summer season.
Athens International Airport welcomed more than 3.8 million foreign passengers in the first half of the year, followed by Heraklion with nearly 1.5 million and Thessaloniki with 1.2 million. Every Greek region recorded growth in visitor arrivals, demonstrating the resilience of the country’s tourism sector despite continuing regional instability.
The latest figures underline a broader trend across Southeast Europe. While geopolitical uncertainty continues to affect the wider region, international demand for Mediterranean destinations remains robust. Greece continues to dominate regional tourism in both visitor numbers and revenue, while Croatia consolidates its position on the Adriatic coast. Albania is emerging as one of Europe’s fastest-growing destinations, and tourism sectors across the Western Balkans continue to expand as infrastructure improves and international connectivity increases.