Tue Sep 24 04:08:36 UTC 2024: ## Greece’s Travel Balance Shows Strong Surplus in First Half of 2024
**Athens, Greece** – Greece’s travel balance continues to flourish, with a surplus of €9.309 billion recorded in the period from January to July 2024, marking a slight increase compared to the €9.006 billion surplus recorded in the same period last year.
Despite a dip in July, the overall trend remains positive. Travel receipts rose by €577.5 million (+5.6%) to reach €10.953 million, while travel payments also increased by €274.5 million (+20%) to €1.644 billion.
The Bank of Greece attributes the increase in travel receipts to a significant rise in inbound travel traffic, up by 11.2%, although average expenditure per trip decreased by 5.7%.
Key contributors to the positive travel balance include:
* **Germany:** saw a 13.2% increase in travelers to 2,604.6 thousand.
* **France:** experienced a 5.2% rise in travelers to 1,064.5 thousand.
* **Italy:** recorded a 13.8% growth in travelers to 990.7 thousand.
* **United Kingdom:** witnessed an 8.1% increase in travelers to 2,266.1 thousand.
* **United States:** saw a 6.9% rise in travelers to 788.6 thousand.
* **Russia:** experienced a significant drop in travelers, down by 54.2% to 9.0 thousand.
Overall, the robust travel balance continues to bolster the Greek economy. The strong performance in the first half of 2024 bodes well for the tourism sector, which remains a crucial pillar of the country’s economy.
First Piper 