Greece’s 2025 Tourism Season Off to a Strong Start: Domestic Travelers Favor Rural Getaways, While Cities and Islands Attract Foreign Visitors

• 17 April, 25

With the rare overlap of Orthodox and Catholic Easter, Greece’s 2025 tourism season has kicked off on a high note. Mainland hotels are reporting steady occupancy rates. Though the number of open hotels on popular islands like Santorini remains limited, they are already seeing a dual influx of domestic and international visitors.

Urban-Rural Travel Patterns Diverge

This year, Greece is witnessing an interesting divergence in tourist flows:

• Domestic Tourists are continuing the traditional “rural Easter” custom by traveling en masse to small towns and the countryside.
• International Tourists are flocking to urban centers like Athens—which is expected to break visitor records—and Thessaloniki.
• Athens continues to attract European travelers with its “city break” appeal, while Thessaloniki is expected to see a significant year-on-year increase in visitors thanks to new direct flight routes.
• Heraklion in Crete is also emerging as a new urban destination.

Outbound Travel Sees New Trends

According to the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (FedHATTA):

• Traditional European destinations remain mainstream, but there’s a surge in demand for intercontinental travel.
• Cost-effective packages such as Cairo (6 days < €700) and Cuba (10 days ≈ €1,500) are increasingly popular.
• Long-haul trips to destinations like China and New York (10 days ≈ €1,700) have seen a 20% year-on-year increase in bookings.

Island Tourism Updates

Corfu: Over 55,000 visitors were drawn by traditional Easter festivities, matching last year’s high levels.
Crete: The number of open hotels rose by 25% year-on-year, but April’s average occupancy remained low at 35%-40% due to competition from short-term rentals.
Rhodes: International flight seat capacity rose by 6% to 176,000 seats, effectively extending the tourism season.
Santorini: Hotel openings were severely reduced due to the February earthquake, with most now delayed until May.

Mainland Highlights

• Magnesia Region (Volos/Pelion): Combined domestic and international hotel occupancy reached 75%-80%.
  Peloponnese: Short-term rental bookings surged during Easter, while hotel occupancy ranged from 60%-65%.

Transportation Data Reflects Growth

Athens International Airport Q1 2025:

• Total passenger traffic: 5.81 million (+11.4%)
• International travelers: 4.2 million (+15%)

Aegean Airlines reports:

• Domestic flight load factors between 75%-85%
• Popular routes like Athens-Thessaloniki surpassing 90% occupancy

“The overlapping Easters created a unique opportunity,” noted Eugenios Vasilikos, President of the Athens Hotel Association. “It helped fill the low-season gap for city tourism and signals that 2025 may be another record-breaking year for Greece’s tourism industry.”

Cre: newmoney.gr