Arrivals at short-stay accommodation establishments in Greece rose 5.2% to 2,184,311 in August 2026 from a year earlier, against 1.5% at hotels and campsites, provisional data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) show.
The release, published on 20 October 2026, counts 7,429,931 arrivals in all types of accommodation in August, up 2.6%. Nights spent rose 2.1% to 34,685,695.
Short-stay accommodation grew faster on both measures. Nights spent there rose 4.6% to 10,272,315, while nights in hotels, similar establishments and campsites rose 1.1% to 24,413,380. Short-stay accommodation took about 29.4% of all arrivals in August.
Visitors from abroad drove the rise. Non-resident arrivals at short-stay accommodation rose 5.5% to 1,608,106, and their nights rose 5.1% to 8,398,189. Across all types of accommodation, non-residents made up 76.7% of arrivals and 84.0% of nights. The average stay was 4.7 days, and 5.1 days for non-residents.
The category needs care. ELSTAT classifies these businesses under NACE Rev. 2 class 55.2, “holiday and other short-stay accommodation”, and updates its register from Ministry of Tourism data. The release does not define the category beyond its NACE label. It gives no regional breakdown; ELSTAT publishes regional results separately.
What it means for buyers
For buyers weighing a holiday let, August demand grew faster in short-stay accommodation than in hotels, and most of the growth came from foreign visitors. This is one month of provisional, national data, so it says nothing about a specific island or neighbourhood. Rental income from Greek property is taxed in Greece wherever the owner lives; our guide to Greek rental income tax for owners abroad explains the rules. For the tax authority’s latest figures on declared short-term rental income, see our report on short-term rental income declared for 2025.
What happens next
The August figures are provisional, so ELSTAT may revise them in later releases.
