In Brief: Greece saw a rise in international air arrivals and travel receipts in early 2026, with Crete and the Ionian Islands posting significant gains and total travel receipts up nearly 37% from the previous year.
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Crete and Ionian Islands Drive Growth as Greece’s Tourism Revenue Climbs – Image Credit Unsplash+
International air arrivals to Greece reached 6.6 million between January and May 2026, an increase of 316,000, or 5.0%, compared with the same period in 2025. In May alone, there were 3.1 million international arrivals, up by 102,000 or 3.4% year-on-year.
Athens International Airport recorded 2.9 million international arrivals in the first five months of 2026, an increase of 63,000 or 2.2% over the previous year. Thessaloniki Airport followed with 929,000 arrivals, up by 38,000 or 4.2%.
All major regions in Greece reported growth in international air arrivals during January-May 2026. Crete led with 1.2 million passengers, an increase of 140,000 or 13.8%. The Ionian Islands recorded 603,000 arrivals, up by 55,000 or 10.1%. The Dodecanese saw 788,000 arrivals, a marginal 0.1% increase. The Cyclades recorded 142,000 arrivals, up 6.8%, and the Peloponnese had 43,000 arrivals, an increase of 4,000 or 10.9%.
Travel receipts for January-April 2026 totaled €2,791 million, a 36.9% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Receipts from residents of European Union countries rose by 38.7% to €1,370 million, while receipts from residents of other countries increased by 37.5% to €1,337 million. Receipts from euro area countries reached €1,184 million, up 38.8%, and receipts from EU countries outside the euro area increased by 37.7% to €186 million.
Receipts from Germany decreased by 10.5% to €263 million. Receipts from France increased by 12.6% to €124 million, and receipts from Italy rose by 57.5% to €159 million. Among other countries, receipts from the United Kingdom increased to €332 million, while receipts from the United States decreased by 0.8% to €327 million.
