International Arrivals to Greece Hit 15.4 Million in January-July

A total of 15.4 million people visited Greece in the first seven months of 2022 via air or road fast approaching pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to the latest data released by INSETE, the Greek Tourism Confederation’s (SETE) research body.

More specifically, arrivals by air almost equaled 2019 levels but arrivals by road were down by 36.6 percent over 2019.

From January to July this year, international arrivals by air came to 11.5 million compared to 11.7 million in the same period in pre-Covid 2019, down by 2.3 percent or short of 274,000 arrivals.

International arrivals via road reached 3.9 million in the period under review compared to 6.2 million in 2019 down by 36.6 percent or short of 2.3 million visitors. INSETE analysts attribute the slow comeback to fears for travel created by the Russia-Ukraine war, a later season opening for road tourism and soaring fuel costs.

The biggest declines in road arrivals were reported in the markets of Bulgaria down by 50.3 percent or short of 1.4 million, Northern Macedonia down by 370,000 or by 19.5 percent to 1.5 million and Turkey short of 247,000 or down by 50.3 percent to 244,000.

INSETE data reveals strong arrivals across all destinations in Greece for the given period with international arrivals through airports in the Dodecanese up by 7.5 percent to 2.1 million, in the Cyclades up by 30.5 percent to 781,000, on Crete up by 2.8 percent to 2.5 million and on the Ionian islands by 10.6 percent to 1.8 million.

Indicatively, incoming tourist flows through Athens International Airport in the January-July period came to 2.9 million and to 1.1 million through Thessaloniki airport.

Domestic arrivals, meanwhile, came to 4 million in the first seven months of the year against 4.5 million in 2019, down by 11.7 percent or short of 527,000 arrivals.

In total in the first half of 2022, nearly 8 million people chose to holiday in Greece, according to the Bank of Greece.