Greece’s tourism sector is entering the 2025 summer season on a strong footing, with international visitor arrivals showing solid momentum. Key travel destinations such as Crete, Athens, and the Dodecanese are already reporting higher-than-expected numbers.
According to the latest report from the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE), more than 3.2 million international air travelers arrived in Greece between January and April 2025—a 6.5% increase compared to the same period last year.
Monthly breakdown: April leads the surge
Although the early months are traditionally low season, 2025 has defied expectations. Thus, January registered a 9.1% year-on-year increase, February: +5.5%, March: +1%, and April a 8.4% increase compared to last year.
As expected, Athens International Airport led the way for foreign travel with nearly 1.9 million arrivals, up 5.7%, followed by Thessaloniki with 628,000 arrivals and an impressive 10% increase, Heraklion (Crete): +15.8%, Rhodes: +5.1%, and Kos: +15.1%
Mixed results in the islands
In the Ionian Islands, the picture was mixed: Corfu saw a 1.5% drop in arrivals, Zakynthos posted a modest 4.7% rise, Kefalonia recorded a remarkable 31.4% increase, albeit from a low base, while Aktion Airport saw a 7.9% decline.
By region, Crete led with 347,000 arrivals, up 11.2%, followed by the Dodecanese (+6.1%) and the Ionian Islands with a marginal increase of 0.6%. The Peloponnese registered a 7.9% rise, while the Cyclades were the only region to see a negative shift, with arrivals falling by 24.9%, as Mykonos posted a 9% drop in arrivals, while Santorini saw a sharp decline of 30.4%.
