The economic impact of the cruise industry in Greece reached record levels in 2024, confirming its role as a pillar of the national economy.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) latest Economic Impact Report for the year 2024, conducted by Oxford Economics, the industry generated €3.1 billion in total economic output and contributed €1.5 billion to Greece’s gross domestic product. This marks significant year-on-year growth.
“The economic contribution of cruising in Greece has almost tripled in only three years, reaching €3.1 billion in 2024 from €1.4 billion in 2022 and €2 billion in 2023”, said Maria Deligianni, regional director, Eastern Mediterranean, CLIA.
The industry’s contribution to GDP increased almost by 50%, rising to €1.5 billion in 2024, from €973 million in 2023. Employment also saw a substantial increase, with total jobs supported rising from 22,600 in 2023 to 33,000 in 2024, an addition of more than 10,000 jobs within a single year, including direct, indirect and induced employment.
Jobs generated by the cruise industry in Greece comprise 17,000 expenditure-linked roles (direct), 1,000 within cruise lines (direct), 10,000 indirect positions, and 5,000 induced jobs.
Athens/Piraeus, the region’s busiest port, attracted 1.7 million passenger visits the same year, which included substantial embarkation activity. It ranked as the 13th biggest embarkation port globally.