Greece’s tourism industry recorded steady growth in the first four months of 2026, but new data showed a widening gap between destinations benefiting from an extended travel season and islands facing headwinds from regional instability and rising costs.

International air arrivals increased 5.9% year-on-year to 1.43 million between January and April, according to the tourism research institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE). Growth was driven largely by a 26.8% surge in March, while arrivals in April were nearly unchanged from a year earlier, signaling a slowdown ahead of the peak summer season.

Crete remained the country’s strongest-performing destination, attracting 405,474 international arrivals, up 16.8% from the same period in 2025. The Ionian Islands recorded a 10% increase, while the Peloponnese posted the highest growth rate at 19.2%, albeit from a smaller base.

The picture was less positive in the Dodecanese, where arrivals fell 6.6% to 203,407 visitors. Industry officials attributed the decline partly to the effects of conflict and uncertainty in the Middle East, which have disrupted travel demand in the eastern Mediterranean. The Cyclades recorded marginal growth of 0.7%.

Tourism representatives in Rhodes said bookings remain resilient but warned that higher prices, geopolitical uncertainty and weaker demand from some key markets are increasing pressure on island economies. They also reported a growing reliance on last-minute reservations, despite generally positive expectations for the summer season.

Source: Ekathimerini.com