Greece’s island tourism market is showing signs of a reshuffle this summer, with international travelers looking beyond some of the country’s most famous destinations and directing more of their spending toward lesser-known alternatives.
The Cyclades, the island group in the Aegean Sea that includes Mykonos, Paros and Naxos, remain a major draw. But booking data from Ferryscanner, a Greece-based ferry-ticket platform, suggest demand is spreading to destinations including Skiathos, Kos, Sifnos, Aegina and Hydra
The figures cover bookings made from Jan. 1 through July 28 for travel between June and September 2026 and compare them with the same period a year earlier.
Italy remains Ferryscanner’s largest foreign market, with bookings up 13.8%. Bookings from France increased 6.9%, while those from the U.S. rose 5.4%. Britain, another important source of visitors to Greece, recorded an 11.1% decline, while Australia fell 17.9%.
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The biggest increase came from nearby Turkey. Though only Ferryscanner’s 12th-largest international market by booking volume, Turkish bookings jumped 53.9%, the strongest growth among its 15 leading foreign markets. The increase comes as Turkish citizens benefit from a visa-on-arrival program covering 12 Greek islands near the Turkish coast.
Where travelers are going is changing, too. Italian bookings for Skiathos,in the western Aegean, surged 81.4%, while Kos and Sifnos also gained. French travelers showed stronger demand for Naxos, Mykonos, Syros and Tinos. Among Americans, bookings for Aegina rose 35.4% and Hydra 34.1%. Both islands are within relatively easy reach of Athens, making them convenient additions to a trip to the Greek capital.
One destination stands out for the opposite reason: Santorini. Bookings for the volcanic island, long one of the defining images of Greek tourism abroad, declined across Ferryscanner’s five largest international markets. Australian bookings dropped 31.6%, followed by Britain at 25.8%, Italy at 21.4%, France at 16.6% and the U.S. at 14.5%.
Long-haul travelers remain particularly valuable. The average ferry booking was €157.47 for Americans and €150.29 for Australians, compared with €120.39 for Italians.
