In 2025, 85% of trips by residents of Greece took place within the country, significantly above the European average of 70%, according to new figures released by Eurostat.
Greece shares third place with France and Portugal among European Union countries with the highest shares of domestic trips, at 85% each. Romania tops the list, with a share of 89%, followed by Spain at 87%.
These figures show how trips are divided between domestic and international destinations, not the proportion of residents who take holidays. The data include both personal and business trips.
At the other end of the scale, Luxembourg recorded the lowest share, with just 5% of trips taking place within the country, followed by Belgium (29%) and Malta (32%). The wide variations highlight differences in EU residents’ travel habits when choosing between domestic and international destinations.
Across Europe, residents of the 27 member states made around 1.2 billion trips for personal and business purposes in 2025, up 1.4%, or 17 million, from 2024.
Of these, 848 million were trips within the country of residence, representing 70% of the total, while a further 264 million, or 22%, were to another European Union country.
Overall, therefore, 92% of trips by EU residents took place within the Union, while only 8% were to third countries. Of the trips in this last category, fewer than half were to destinations outside the European continent.
Higher spending on trips abroad
The picture is different when it comes to spending: although domestic trips are more numerous, Europeans spend more overall on trips abroad.
According to Eurostat, in 2025 EU residents spent €266.2 billion on domestic trips, compared with €379.4 billion on trips abroad.
The difference exceeded €113 billion, with spending on international trips accounting for around 59% of the total.
For domestic trips, accommodation accounted for 34% of spending, or €90.3 billion, while transport accounted for 21%, equivalent to €56 billion.
For trips abroad, accommodation represented 35% of spending, or €131.3 billion, while transport’s share rose to 32%, with total spending of €121.5 billion.
The picture in the Greek market
Meanwhile, figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) show that in 2025 residents of Greece aged 15 and over took more trips both within the country and abroad for personal reasons, with domestic destinations retaining the lion’s share.
In particular, residents of Greece aged 15 and over took a total of 7.93 million trips for personal reasons, up 13.7% from 2024. Of these, 6.74 million were to destinations in Greece, a rise of 12.8%, while trips abroad totalled 1.19 million, marking a larger increase of 18.8%.
Despite the faster percentage growth in trips abroad, domestic destinations still account for 85% of personal trips by residents of Greece aged 15 and over, with the remaining 15% involving travel outside Greece.
The increase in travel was accompanied by higher spending. In 2025, residents of Greece aged 15 and over spent a total of €3.68 billion on personal trips, up 13.3% year on year. Of this, €2.7 billion went on trips within the country, a rise of 12.3%, while spending on trips abroad increased by 16.3% to €983.7 million.
Italy was the most popular destination abroad for residents of Greece, with 153,000 trips, followed by Albania with 141,000, Germany with 79,000, the United Kingdom with 77,000 and France with 64,000.
Accommodation choices
Figures on travellers’ accommodation choices are also of particular interest. According to ELSTAT, 52.1% of personal trips involved stays in non-rented accommodation, such as privately owned holiday homes and accommodation provided free of charge by relatives and friends.
The remaining 47.9% involved trips using rented accommodation, which increased by 14.3% compared with 2024. Trips involving stays in hotels and similar accommodation rose even more, by 18.6%, to 2.38 million.
The share of overnight stays in non-rented accommodation was even higher, accounting for 71.6% of the total, compared with 28.4% in rented accommodation.
Despite the increase in travel, cost remains a major barrier for those who do not take trips. Notably, among those who did not travel for personal reasons in 2025, 56.4% cited financial reasons, followed by health problems or limited mobility, at 20.8%, and a lack of free time because of work commitments, at 16.7%.