The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) published data for affiliated businesses based in Greece and controlled by foreign entities for the year 2023.
The depiction of these data provides a clear picture of how foreign capital is infiltrating key sectors of the Greek economy, particularly those directly or indirectly related to tourism.
In the Accommodation and Catering sector, 363 businesses were recorded, with 33,027 employees. Their turnover reached €2,431,823,000, added value €1,303,768,000, and personnel expenses €631,293,000.
In Transportation and Storage, 211 businesses were active. Employed 11,196 people, with a turnover of €3,118,738 million and added value of €1,159,967 million. Personnel expenses amounted to €470,196 million.
In the Administrative and Support Activities sector, which includes travel agencies and rental services, 210 businesses were recorded, with 32,385 employees. Revenue reached €2,607,562 million, value added €1,267,653 million, while personnel expenses reached €624,823 million.
In Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, 45 businesses were active, employing 3,706 workers. Their turnover reached 632,105 million euros, with added value of 78,825 million euros and personnel expenses of 147,087 million euros.
Additionally, in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities sector, 554 businesses were recorded, with 24,833 employees. Revenue reached €3,946,158, added value €1,542,418, while personnel expenses amounted to €1,081,649.
This picture is derived in detail from Table 5 of ELSTAT, which compiles the basic economic indicators by sector of activity. This is the table that provides the most complete picture of how foreign affiliated businesses participate in the tourism chain, whether through hospitality, transportation and support services, or through entertainment and consulting services.
However, the discussion about foreign capital in tourism is not limited to individual sectors. In the Greek economy as a whole, foreign affiliates account for only 0.6% of the total number of enterprises, but they hold 18.8% of turnover, 18.1% of production value, and 20.2% of total personnel costs. These figures are detailed in Table 2 of the report.
Regarding the country of origin of the ultimate controlling institutional unit, ELSTAT reports that 78.8% of the businesses are controlled by European Union countries and 21.2% by non-EU countries. Cyprus holds the absolute lead, with a percentage of 44.7% (2,451 businesses). The United Kingdom follows with 7.2% (397 businesses), Luxembourg with 6.1% (334 businesses), Germany with 5.4% (298 businesses), and the Netherlands with also 5.4% (296 businesses). These distributions are shown in Table 4 of ELSTAT, which provides detailed information on the number of businesses, turnover, and employees by country of origin.
The analysis of the data shows that foreign affiliates in tourism have a presence in multiple sectors and their participation is reflected in turnovers of billions of euros and tens of thousands of jobs. The ELSTAT research leaves no doubt: foreign control in tourism is not a simple detail, but an essential part of the country’s production base.
 published data for affiliated businesses based in Greece and controlled by foreign entities){kind=link}