Greece experienced a significant boost in international arrivals during the first quarter of the year, with figures soaring by 18.7% compared to the same period in 2024, signalling a robust demand and an extended tourism season.
Data released by INSETE, the research arm of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), unveiled a substantial rise in arrivals at Greek airports, totalling 1.6 million visitors from January to March, a stark contrast to the 253,000 arrivals recorded a year earlier.
Breaking down the numbers, January saw 485,000 arrivals, marking a notable 25.3% increase, while February recorded 462,000 arrivals, up by 19.5%. March witnessed a surge of 13.8%, with arrivals reaching 656,000.
Athens International Airport (AIA) emerged as a major gateway, welcoming 1.2 million arrivals in Q1 2024, representing a robust 20.4% increase from the previous year. Thessaloniki Airport followed suit, handling 371,000 international arrivals, marking a 13.3% rise over Q1 2023.
On the island of Crete, Heraklion Airport reported 25,000 inbound arrivals, a substantial 40.4% increase over the same period last year, while Chania Airport recorded 9,000 arrivals, up by 19.8%. Overall, Crete witnessed a 16.5% surge in international arrivals during Q1.
Several other airports across Greece also experienced notable increases, including Rhodes (+72.9% to 19,000), Kalamata (+42.5% to 3,000), and Corfu (+4.1% to 8,000). However, arrivals in the Ionian Islands Region saw a slight decrease of 4.4% to 8,000 in Q1.
Conversely, Santorini Airport witnessed a decline of 39.7%, with arrivals totalling 2,000 in the January-March period. Similarly, the Cyclades islands observed a 44.2% drop in arrivals compared to 2023, with numbers reaching 2,000.
Meanwhile, the Dodecanese islands bucked the trend, welcoming 20,000 arrivals, marking an impressive 73.7% rise. On the mainland, the Peloponnese region recorded 3,000 international arrivals, reflecting a substantial 42.5% increase.
(Source: GTP)
