With the rare coincidence this year of both Orthodox and Catholic Easters falling on the same weekend, Greece saw a noticeable uptick in travel activity. Traditional domestic getaways were complemented by an increase in international visitors, as popular destinations welcomed tourists earlier than usual.
While May remains the official start of the season for most hotels, many properties in key locations such as Crete, Rhodes, Kos, the Peloponnese, Santorini, and Zakynthos opened their doors early for Easter.
These areas reported high occupancy levels, reflecting growing interest in Greece even before the peak summer months.
On Mykonos, one of Greece’s premier luxury destinations, hotels were already seeing solid bookings and early arrivals. Expectations for the full season are high, though concerns remain about reduced international flights and the rise of unlicensed short-term rentals. Still, there's growing momentum in the shoulder months of May-June and September-October, suggesting a shift in traveler habits.
Zakynthos experienced a strong Easter, with the first charter flights landing and hotels reporting 80%-90% occupancy.
The UK, Poland, and the Netherlands emerged as key source markets. In Santorini, the season started more slowly due to recent seismic activity, with bookings in April and May down around 20% from last year, but Easter still brought in steady traffic and resumed international flights.
Elsewhere, destinations like Paros and Chios are preparing for a May launch, while maintaining their appeal as springtime getaways. Halkidiki had a quieter Easter, with only a fraction of hotels operating, but interest from countries like the UK, Sweden, and Italy bodes well for the months ahead. Romania and Bulgaria’s full entry into the Schengen zone is also expected to boost regional weekend tourism.
Corfu once again proved a top Easter destination, with high visitor numbers and pre-bookings for summer already up 27% from last year.
The island is seeing increased traffic from traditional European markets as well as a growing number of Albanian visitors. Meanwhile, Heraklion and Thessaloniki also reported steady early activity, rounding out a nationwide Easter that points to a promising 2025 tourism season for Greece.
