According to the 2024 statistical survey published by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), approximately 1.4 billion people traveled abroad, which is 99% comparable to 2019 statistics – the last year before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Europe was the most visited continent with 747 million tourists in 2024. 316 million people traveled to Asia and the Pacific in 2024, 213 million to the Americas, 95 million to the Middle East, and 74 million to Africa.

Regarding our country, the news about passenger traffic is particularly encouraging. Specifically, during the period January – July 2025, the total number of passengers who traveled was 44.7 million, representing an increase of 4.7% compared to 2024, while total flights reached 342,828, marking a 3.6% increase compared to 2024. Moreover, in 2024, Greece recorded 29.3 million international air arrivals, compared to 26.7 million in 2023, showing an increase of 9.7% (+2.6 million). In fact, international media reports highlight that the increased traffic at «Eleftherios Venizelos» airport makes its upgrade necessary, in order to raise its annual capacity from 26 million to 40 million passengers by 2032. In simple terms, these numbers indicate that global tourism has not only recovered but is on an upward trajectory.