Foreign tourists filled nearly all of Greece’s hotel rooms this summer, with nine out of every ten hotel nights in June booked by visitors from abroad, according to Eurostat. Of the 18.1 million nights spent in Greek hotels that month, 16.4 million were logged by non-residents, while Greek travelers made up the rest, the agency reported this week.
The figure places Greece well above the EU average. Across the bloc’s 27 countries, foreign guests accounted for about 55% of hotel nights in June, and the share was near 57% among countries that use the euro.
Foreign tourists fuel Greece’s summer hotel advantage over rivals
Only a handful of nations posted a higher foreign share than Greece, including Malta, Cyprus and Croatia, all popular island and coastal destinations that draw heavily on visitors from outside their borders.
By comparison, Spain recorded a foreign share of 68% and Italy 55%, both far below Greece’s level. France stood at 38%, while Germany trailed at just 21%, reflecting its larger base of domestic travel.
The pattern highlights how heavily Greece depends on foreign tourists to fill its hotel rooms every summer, more than almost any other country in the European Union.
Eurostat also pointed to a broader shift taking shape across the continent. Looking at all forms of tourist accommodation over the first half of 2026, not just hotels, the EU logged 1.32 billion overnight stays, up 1.7% from the same period last year.
Foreign visitors made up 48.9% of those stays, and nights booked by international travelers rose 2.5%, nearly three times the 0.9% growth from domestic travelers.
Greece ranks among Europe’s most tourism-reliant destinations
Ireland, Malta and Slovakia saw the largest gains in their foreign share of overnight stays so far this year, Eurostat data showed, while Cyprus and Romania recorded the steepest declines. Germany, Poland and Romania continued to post the lowest shares of foreign visitors among EU countries, each below a quarter of total stays.
The figures suggest Greece remains one of Europe’s most tourism-dependent destinations, with its hotel industry leaning on international demand far more than most of its neighbors.
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