Greece's Travel Receipts Surge in February

Greece's travel receipts surge but data is incomplete

Travel Receipts and Economic Impact

Significant Increase in Travel Receipts

April 20 (Reuters) - Greece recorded a more than 80% year-on-year rise in travel receipts in February, leading to a slight improvement in the nation's finances but on the basis of incomplete data, the central bank said on Monday.

Data Limitations and Reporting Issues

The national statistics authority postponed trade figures, citing quality issues without giving further explanation, meaning the Bank of Greece could not release data for the balance of goods and therefore the overall current account balance.

Details Behind the Surge

Drivers of Growth

The Bank of Greece said travel receipts jumped 83.2% from a year earlier to 533.4 million euros ($627 million), driven by a 44.5% increase in non-resident arrivals.

Offsetting Factors

A narrower transport surplus and a deterioration in other services, however, almost wiped out the gains.

Income Account Deficits

The primary income account deficit nearly doubled from a year earlier, largely due to lower net receipts from other primary income, while the secondary income account deficit widened on higher net government payments.

Year-to-Date Performance

As travel receipts underpinned the economy for the first two months of the year, arrivals rose by 38.5% and related revenues jumped by 70.7% from the same period in 2025.

Additional Information

($1 = 0.8505 euros)

(Reporting by Antonis Pothitos; Editing by Barbara Lewis)