Americans "vote" for Greece - How does this trust translate into tourism and the real estate market?

It is also important that the average expenditure per American visitor amounted to 1,104 euros, when the average expenditure of all foreign visitors barely exceeded 600 euros.

The data for the year that has just begun is also encouraging. Airline seat bookings show an overall increase of 9.9% and especially by American visitors by 7.3%.

The vote of confidence
In 2025, Greece was officially voted the best destination for Americans for the fifth consecutive year, according to the prestigious Global Traveler GT Tested Reader Survey Awards. As Elxis notes, this remarkable achievement highlights Greece’s continued popularity among American travelers and further strengthens its reputation as a world-class destination, not only for tourism, but also for real estate investment.

During the survey, from December 2024 to August 2025, readers voted in more than 90 global travel categories. Greece took first place in the “Best Tourist Destination” category, beating other popular European destinations such as Ireland (second place) and Spain (third place).

The fact that Greece has once again been voted the best destination for Americans in 2025 has direct implications for the real estate sector. Strong tourism performance often translates into increased interest in:

Vacation homes and second homes
Investment properties for short-term rentals
Luxury villas and beachfront properties
Housing-related investments, such as Golden Visa programs

American buyers, in particular, are increasingly attracted to Greece due to its competitive property prices compared to other European destinations, combined with lifestyle advantages and high rental demand.

Alongside the news of the award, the Hellenic Tourism Organization is also actively promoting mainland Greece to international markets. New road tourism initiatives in regions such as Central Macedonia, Thessaly and Epirus are showcasing lesser-known destinations, natural landscapes and authentic villages.

This diversification of tourist flows opens up new real estate opportunities beyond traditional island hotspots, offering investors access to emerging markets with strong growth potential.

Greek real estate
According to Elxis data, country houses with an average value of 450,000 euros were the main choice in 2025 for foreign buyers. This represents an increase of 37.3% over 2024, demonstrating the willingness of international investors to spend more on acquiring higher quality properties.

The countries of origin that dominated buyer activity in 2025 were the Netherlands, Germany and North America (USA/Canada). The average value of properties purchased by Dutch and Belgian buyers in 2025 increased by 33.55% compared to 2024, while the average value of properties purchased by German buyers increased by 32.08%. As for buyers from the Americas, the average value of properties increased by 43.13%.