The start of Greece’s 2025 tourism season saw direct hotel bookings for Easter rise by 18.3 percent compared to 2024, with travelers arriving from 112 countries, according to a new report by Greek digital marketing firm Nelios.
The data indicated that the overlap of Orthodox and Catholic Easter boosted international bookings, while domestic travel contributed to a 12.6 percent rise in hotel reservations across Greece.
In addition, current trends showed that travelers are seeking destinations that offer authentic experiences, leading to a more widespread increase in hotel bookings throughout the country.
“This trend highlights how Greece has further solidified its place on the international tourism map, attracting visitors from all over the world—even during periods that have not historically seen high demand,” said Nelios CEO Dimitris Serifis.
Crete gains momentum as the Cyclades lose ground
Crete led the way in direct bookings with an impressive 82.4 percent increase compared to 2024. The Dodecanese followed with a 37.6 percent rise, with islands such as Kos and Rhodes recording increases of 38.3 percent and 37 percent, respectively.
Booking increases were also being seen in the Peloponnese (+23.6 percent), Attica (+22.9 percent), and mainland Greece (+19.3 percent). Meanwhile, the Ionian Islands showed a more modest rise of 4.6 percent, excluding Kefalonia, which saw a 4.4 percent decline compared to last year.
The Cyclades did not follow the same positive trend, with reservations showing an 11.4 percent decline overall. Traditional bucket-list destinations such as Santorini, Mykonos, and Naxos reported drops of 20.2 percent, 12.1 percent, and 6.3 percent, respectively.
Hotel bookings in Thessaloniki outshine Athens
According to the report, direct hotel bookings in Thessaloniki rose by 19.3 percent compared to Easter 2024, surpassing Athens, where the increase was 12.9 percent. Meanwhile, Patra showed the strongest potential, with reservations soaring by 80.2 percent.
Other destinations that recorded notable increases include Corfu (+32.8 percent), Pelion (+31.4 percent), Parga (+30.7 percent), Paros (+28.1 percent), Litochoro (+26.7 percent), Monemvasia (+23.1 percent), Rethymno (+19.7 percent), Thassos (+19.1 percent), Porto Heli (+9.8 percent), Spetses (+8.1 percent), Ios (+7.3 percent), Arachova (+6.6 percent), and Metsovo (+6.2 percent).
Key markets performances
Easter on Corfu, Greece.
This year, direct bookings from Israel have more than doubled, marking a 178.5 percent increase compared to Easter 2024. The surge is attributed to improved air connectivity between the two countries and Greece’s image as a safe and attractive holiday destination. Romania is also emerging as a key source market for road tourism in Northern Greece, recording a 36.2 percent rise in bookings.
The data also revealed increased demand from Italy (+26.1 percent), Spain (+22.8 percent), the Netherlands (+22.1 percent), Austria (+16.1 percent), the UK (+16.7 percent), the USA (+10.1 percent), France (+8.3 percent), Germany (+5.6 percent), Belgium (+10 percent), Switzerland (+9 percent), Canada (+6.5 percent), and Australia (+5 percent).
On the other hand, declines in bookings were observed from Brazil (-27.4 percent), Bulgaria (-22.7 percent), the UAE (-15.8 percent), Finland (-12.6 percent), Hungary (-10.3 percent), Ireland (-9.3 percent), and Norway (-4.3 percent).
Founded in 2008, Nelios offers hotel brands and destinations reliable, holistic solutions for their online strategic positioning.
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