Greece is poised for a busy summer season in 2025, with airlines and tour operators announcing a flurry of new flight routes and increased capacity to cater to growing demand. Building on the success of 2024, the Greek tourism industry is showing no signs of slowing down, attracting significant interest from international carriers.
While booking trends vary across markets, with the UK showing a particularly strong 15% increase, the overall picture is one of optimism. Airlines are responding by bolstering their programs, adding seats and new destinations to capitalize on the continued appeal of Greece.
Transatlantic Boost: Connectivity with North America is getting a significant boost, with American Airlines launching a new Athens-Charlotte route, Delta increasing its Atlanta-Athens frequencies, and United expanding its services to New York/Newark. Air Canada is also increasing capacity on its routes from Montreal and Toronto to Athens.
European Expansion: Within Europe, numerous airlines are expanding their reach to Greece. Ryanair is adding connections from Sweden to several Greek islands, while Discover Airlines (Lufthansa subsidiary) is increasing its presence in Kefalonia, Kalamata, and Heraklion. easyJet is adding new routes from Athens to Luton and Alicante, and several other European carriers, including Condor, Transavia France, airBaltic, SAS, Neos, SkyAlps, Volotea, Eurowings, and Brussels Airlines are adding or expanding services to various Greek destinations.
Island Hopping Made Easier: Many of the new routes focus on popular island destinations, making it easier than ever for travelers to explore the diverse beauty of the Greek islands. Islands seeing increased connectivity include Zakynthos, Corfu, Kefalonia, Kos, Rhodes, Mykonos, Lesvos, Samos, Crete (Heraklion and Chania), Karpathos, and Skiathos.
Tour Operators Join the Fray: Tour operators are also playing a key role in the expansion, with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays adding significant capacity and new routes to various Greek destinations, including several islands. Just Go Holidays is featuring Greece for the first time in its program, while TUI is adding a new route from Cork, Ireland to Corfu.
Shoulder Season Travel: Recognizing the trend towards shoulder season travel, some airlines and tour operators are extending their programs earlier into the spring and later into the fall, giving travelers more flexibility and potentially less crowded experiences.
The influx of new routes and increased capacity underscores the enduring popularity of Greece as a tourist destination. With its stunning islands, rich history, and vibrant culture, Greece is well-positioned to welcome a record number of visitors in 2025.