Tourist arrivals in Greece rose by 2.6% in August 2026 compared to the same month in 2025, reaching a total of 7,429,931 visitors. Overnight stays in the country increased by 2.1%, amounting to 34,685,695 nights, according to provisional data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). The growth in arrivals outpaced the rise in overnight stays by 0.5 percentage points.
Foreign vs Greek Visitor Contributions
Foreign tourists represented 76.7% of total arrivals and accounted for 84% of total overnight stays in August 2026. Greek residents made up 23.3% of arrivals and 16% of overnight stays. Year-on-year, arrivals of foreign visitors grew by 2.9%, surpassing the 1.7%
increase recorded for Greek residents. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 2.3%, while those by Greek residents grew by 1.2%.
Accommodation Types: Rented Rooms vs Hotels and Campsites
The rented rooms segment recorded the fastest growth, with arrivals increasing by 5.2% and overnight stays by 4.6% in August 2026. In contrast, arrivals at hotels and campsites rose by 1.5%, with overnight stays up 1.1%. Foreign arrivals in hotels and campsites increased by 1.9%, while Greek arrivals grew by 0.5%. Overnight stays at these establishments rose by 1.2% for foreigners and 0.8% for Greek residents.
For rented rooms, foreign visitor arrivals expanded by 5.5%, and Greek resident arrivals
rose by 4.2%. Overnight stays in rented rooms grew by 5.1% for foreign tourists and 2.2% for Greek residents, highlighting a faster growth rate in collective short-stay accommodation compared to hotels and campsites.
Average Length of Stay
The average length of stay in August 2026 remained steady at 4.7 days, unchanged from August 2025. Foreign visitors stayed on average 5.1 days, while Greek residents had an average stay of 3.2 days, indicating that foreigners stayed nearly 59% longer.
In hotels and campsites, the average stay length was 5.1 days for foreign tourists and 3.2 days for Greek residents. For rented rooms, foreigners stayed on
average 5.2 days, and Greeks stayed 3.3 days.
Tourism Trends in August 2026
The tourism figures confirm stronger growth driven by foreign visitors who dominated arrivals and overnight stays in August 2026. The rented rooms sector expanded at a considerably faster pace than hotels and campsites. Despite the growth in arrivals outpacing overnight stays, the average length of stay remained unchanged from the previous year.
