Greece’s South Aegean Region Boasts Most Arrivals, Revenues and Stays in 2022

Rhodes, Greece.

For a second year in a row, Greece’s South Aegean Region, which includes popular islands such as Milos, Mykonos, Rhodes and Santorini, is the leader in terms of overall arrivals, overnight stays and revenues in 2022, Bank of Greece (BoG) data found.

According to the central bank’s yearly report for 2022 released this week, of the 17.2 billion euros in overall tourism revenue for Greece, the South Aegean Region accounted for 4.7 billion euros as one of five regions which accounted for the bulk (88.9 percent) of all travel receipts in 2022.

Crete came in second with 3.6 billion euros, Attica which includes Athens at 2.8 billion euros, the Ionian Islands with 2.6 billion euros, and last, Central Macedonia with 1.5 billion euros.

The Peloponnese, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Greece, Central Greece, the North Aegean and Western Macedonia together accounted for 1.9 billion euros.

Source: Bank of Greece.

In terms of overall arrivals to Greece in 2022 which came to 31.3 million, the South Aegean Region again came in first accounting for 6.6 million tourists or 83.5 percent of all visits to the country.

Next in line was Attica, welcoming 5.6 million visitors last year, Central Macedonia (5.5 million), Crete (5.1 million) and the Ionian Islands (3.1 million).

All other regions in Greece – Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Epirus, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Western Greece, Central Greece, the North Aegean and Western Macedonia – together accounted for 5.1 million visits.

Looking at the number of overnight stays in Greece in 2022, 85.9 percent of the 216,948.9 thousand stays was concentrated in five of the country’s 13 regions. At the top of the list, the South Aegean accounting for 51,370.6 thousand night stays.

Mykonos. Photo source: Region of South Aegean

Crete followed with 41,890.5 thousand, Attica (35,135.4 thousand), Central Macedonia (33,925.6 thousand) and the Ionian Islands (24,025.8 thousand).

Together, the Peloponnese, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaly, Epirus, Western Greece, Central Greece, the North Aegean and Western Macedonia accounted for 30,601.1 thousand overnight stays in 2022.