Shift in Tourist Trends: Overcrowding Pushes Travelers to Choose September for Greek Island Getaways

Over-tourism during the summer months on popular Greek islands like Mykonos and Santorini has led to a growing number of tourists seeking alternative travel dates, with September emerging as a preferred time to visit.

The influx of visitors during peak season has resulted in overcrowding, particularly at tourist attractions, causing discomfort even among Greek tourists themselves, as reported by daily ethnos.gr.

Yiannis Theocharis, president of Mykonos' restaurant owners, highlighted the sudden surge of approximately 15,000 people arriving on the island within a matter of hours. Similarly, Antonis Iliopoulos, president of the Santorini Hotel Association, referred to as many as 25,000 tourists disembarking from a single cruise ship daily.

In response to these issues, many tourists now want to visit their favourite popular islands in September. The data reveals a significant increase in bookings for Athens in September, rising by 73%. Mykonos and Santorini also experienced a boost, with booking percentages increasing by 12% and 13%, respectively.

As Daily Kathimerini highlights, this shift in travel patterns aligns with the growing preference among European tourists for destinations and timeframes that offer fewer crowds, better services, unique experiences, and lower prices. Consequently, projected arrivals for July and August show a decline compared to the previous year in renowned Greek destinations like Mykonos and Santorini.

This emerging trend is observed by hoteliers and reflected in online short-term rental platforms, where bookings for July and August have decreased compared to the previous summer.