Athens, Crete, and the Dodecanese have emerged as the leading destinations in Greece for international travelers during the first half of 2025, with all three regions showing a notable rise in arrivals compared to the same period last year. According to data from the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE), Greece welcomed approximately 10.3 million international air arrivals between January and June—an increase of 5.7%, or 556,000 more visitors than in 2024.
Athens maintained its position as the country’s primary gateway, with 3.8 million international arrivals at its airport, reflecting a 9.6% rise year-on-year. This surge solidified the Greek capital’s status as the most visited destination in terms of air traffic.
Among Greece’s regional destinations, Crete led the way with 1.9 million international air arrivals, up 4.7% from last year. The Dodecanese islands, which include popular spots such as Rhodes and Kos, followed with 1.5 million arrivals, marking a modest 1.3% increase. The Ionian Islands, including Corfu and Zakynthos, also saw strong performance, attracting 1.3 million travelers, up 4.9%.
The Peloponnese region recorded 81,000 international arrivals, with a significant 9.7% year-on-year increase. In contrast, the Cyclades—despite being among the most iconic destinations—was the only region to report a decline. Arrivals to the island group, which includes Mykonos and Santorini, dropped to 328,000, down 11.5% compared to 2024.
At the airport level, Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, saw robust growth fueled by increased airline frequencies and new routes. Its airport handled 1.2 million international arrivals in the first half of the year, marking an 8.7% increase. On the island of Rhodes, more than 1 million arrivals were recorded, showing a marginal increase of 0.9%.
Kos welcomed 452,000 international visitors, a 3.2% rise from the previous year. In Crete, Heraklion Airport handled 1.4 million passengers, up 5.7%, while Chania Airport saw a 2.3% increase with 544,000 arrivals. Corfu received 666,000 international travelers, up 5.1%, and Zakynthos saw a 4.9% rise with 343,000 visitors. Kefalonia reported 121,000 international arrivals, showing a 4.2% increase.
Among the Cyclades, Mykonos managed a modest increase of 1.5% with 139,000 arrivals. However, Santorini experienced a sharp decline, with international arrivals falling by 19.1% to 189,000.
Other regional airports also experienced mixed results. Kalamata recorded 56,000 arrivals, up 6.8%, and Araxos in western Greece saw a notable 16.7% increase with 25,000 visitors. Skiathos welcomed 86,000 travelers, with a slight uptick of 0.4%. On the other hand, Samos saw a 4.6% drop with 43,000 arrivals. Kavala experienced a slight increase of 0.2% with 38,000 arrivals, while Mytilene on the island of Lesvos registered a minor decrease of 0.2%, with 25,000 visitors.
