Despite the decrease in international air arrivals at the country level, Crete continues to stand out, recording significant growth at Heraklion and Chania airports and confirming the dynamic and resilience of its tourism product.

The tourism industry of Crete seems to be so strong that nothing can stop its upward trajectory, even if it is a war that is being waged quite close to our neighborhood, like the one in the Middle East.

The data published by the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Businesses may not be positive for the overall tourism image of the country, however, our island is the bright exception to the rule. After March 2021, a period quite difficult for the entire global community due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this April appeared to be down in terms of air arrivals by 30,000 compared to 2025, with the decrease estimated at 1.9%, while the data in Crete are completely different, with the airports of Heraklion and Chania showing an increase of 3% and 21% respectively.

This element constitutes further proof that the tourism product of Crete is moving at high levels in the tourism market, which further strengthens its resilience. However, tourism market players continue to maintain reservations about the course of the season, despite the optimistic messages that exist, especially in the hotel sector, where in recent years there has been a slight decline in occupancy rates, largely due to short-term rentals, which are moving upwards, having absorbed a significant share of the purchasing “pie”.

Crete endures

Based on the processing of data from the country’s airports by the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Businesses, April closed with a decline in international air arrivals, at minus 1.9%, with a total of 1.5 million international arrivals, 30 thousand fewer compared to the corresponding month in 2025.

At a four-month level and given the very good performance at the beginning of the year – even if it is the low season for Greek tourism – for the period January-April 2026, 3.5 million international air arrivals were recorded, showing an increase of +214 thousand or +6.6% compared to the corresponding period in 2025.

For the month of April, when the summer schedule of airlines has already begun, especially in destinations such as Crete or Rhodes, the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East is the main reason for the drop recorded for the first time in many years in international air arrivals: Over the last 4 years or so, since March 2021, which was the last month of decline due to the coronavirus, the only drop recorded, which was however within the limits of 0% (-0.4%), was December 2024.

At Athens airport, with a total of over 631.5 thousand arrivals, the drop is -4.8% for April , for Thessaloniki the drop is smaller, under 1%, at 0.7% with a total of 222.2 thousand arrivals last month, while the drop is greater in Rhodes , by 8.3% with a total of 158.3 thousand arrivals. The exceptions are Heraklion and Chania in Crete with an increase of 3% and 21% respectively in April and a total of almost 259 thousand arrivals and 88.6 thousand, reflecting both the resilience of the destination and the strong brand of Crete , amidst geopolitical instability.

The data for the fourth quarter

An increase, as mentioned above, is noted for the entire period January-April 2026, where 2 million international arrivals were recorded at Athens International Airport, showing an increase of 7.1%. Thessaloniki Airport followed, with 651 thousand arrivals (+3.7%). Heraklion recorded 304 thousand international arrivals, increased by 13.5%, while in Chania arrivals amounted to 102 thousand, increased by an impressive +27.9% .

Rhodes recorded 179 thousand international arrivals, showing a decrease of 3.5%, while Kos with 24 thousand arrivals in the four months showed a decrease of 24.4%. In Corfu, international arrivals amounted to 95 thousand with an increase of 15.4%, while in Zakynthos they amounted to 17 thousand, showing a marginal decrease of -1.1%.

Mykonos started the season with a drop of just 8 thousand international arrivals, down 21.7%, while Santorini recorded 26 thousand, up 10.2% after a bad year last year due to seismic activity at the beginning of the year. In the rising Kalamata, which is heading for concession in June, 12 thousand arrivals were recorded in the first quarter of the year, up 24%.

Holy Spirit Triduum

21% increase in searches on booking.com

This year’s searches on booking.com for the Holy Spirit weekend have increased by 21% compared to last year.

The data is based on searches made by users in Greece between April 4-11, 2026, with booking dates from May 29 to June 1, 2026.

Searches by users in Greece are recording a significant increase compared to last year, confirming that travel intent remains particularly strong.

Overall, the data outlines a travel market in strong mobility, with Greeks combining classic European destinations with increased interest in getaways within Greece, which recorded an increase of 33%.

Destinations such as Nafplio and Thessaloniki are gaining ground, while the rise of cities such as Budapest and Istanbul shows that travelers are also looking for alternative options abroad, beyond the more traditional European capitals.

Domestic tourism is showing particular momentum, as interest in destinations within Greece has recorded a 33% increase.

Athens remains at the top of searches, maintaining first place, despite a small 5% decrease compared to last year.

Thessaloniki also has a significant presence in the top ten, ranking fourth, recording a 33% increase in searches.

The biggest increase among the top ten destinations is recorded by Nafplio, which is in eighth place, with an impressive 115% increase year-on-year. This performance reflects the shift of many travelers towards closer, more flexible and easily accessible getaways within Greece.

The city of Chania is also in the top ten, with an increase of 13%, confirming Crete’s steady momentum as a choice for short getaways.

SOURCE: NEA KRHTH