Us, Canada, Australia, And France Drive Santorini’s Sharp Nineteen Percent Decline In Visitors, But Mykonos Emerges Stronger, Steadying Itself Amid Greece’s Tourism Evolution With Two Percent Domestic And International Growth

Published on September 5, 2025

Santorini is experiencing a important diminution successful visitant numbers, pinch cardinal markets for illustration nan US, Canada, Australia, and France contributing to a 19% driblet successful arrivals. This downturn is simply a reflection of shifting tourism trends and increasing title from different destinations. Meanwhile, Mykonos is showing signs of recovery, pinch a 2% maturation successful some home and world visitors, signaling a displacement successful Greece’s tourism landscape. As nan dynamics of Greek tourism evolve, Mykonos emerges arsenic a awesome of resilience, while Santorini faces challenges that are reshaping nan early of these iconic destinations.

Tourist arrivals to Santorini person dropped importantly this year, pinch aerial arrivals down by 19% and ferry bookings reduced by 7%. Mykonos, however, is showing signs of betterment amidst these trends. Despite this downturn, nan Greek tourism scenery is shifting, arsenic travelers’ behaviors and economical factors proceed to evolve.

According to Ferryhopper data, Santorini’s world bookings person fallen, pinch notable drops from cardinal markets specified arsenic nan US, Canada, Australia, and France. While location is simply a compensatory emergence successful home demand, nan diminution successful world arrivals suggests deeper, structural changes. Google hunt study supports this trend, showing a alteration successful liking for Santorini routes while islands for illustration Hydra and Naxos are gaining popularity.

The driblet successful Santorini’s tourer postulation tin beryllium attributed to aggregate factors. Recently, nan land has faced uncertainty owed to earthquakes, which look to person dampened world interest. Additionally, Santorini has agelong been plagued by issues of overtourism—overcrowded beaches, agelong queues, and rising prices—which has contributed to nan cognition that it nary longer offers nan aforesaid entreaty it erstwhile did. These issues, mixed pinch nan aftermath of nan earthquakes, person deterred galore long-haul travelers, peculiarly from awesome markets for illustration nan US, Canada, and Australia. For example, ferry bookings from nan US, Australia, and Canada person dropped by 5%, 6%, and 2%, respectively.

In contrast, Mykonos is experiencing a much unchangeable trend. While it initially saw a driblet of 8% successful aerial arrivals done April, nan land is gradually recovering. Ferryhopper information indicates that Mykonos is witnessing an uptick successful home bookings, and though world request remains lower, nan summation successful section tourism is providing immoderate stabilization. This displacement suggests that while Mykonos is facing immoderate challenges, it still maintains beardown entreaty among some world and home tourists.

The information from nan Institute of nan Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE) and nan Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) bespeak this mixed picture. INSETE reported a important diminution successful world aerial arrivals to Santorini, pinch rates falling by 19%, while SETE estimated a 10%-15% alteration successful arrivals for nan land successful 2025 compared to nan erstwhile year. In contrast, Mykonos reported a smaller diminution and appears to beryllium recovering much steadily. Ferry searches for Santorini’s astir celebrated routes person besides dropped—Piraeus to Santorini and Mykonos to Santorini saw declines of 16% and 25%, respectively, compared to past year. Meanwhile, searches for Piraeus to Mykonos accrued by 2%.

The shifting dynamics of tourer behaviour are further illustrated by Ferryhopper’s findings connected ferry bookings. While world request for Santorini has waned, home travelers are progressively flocking to nan island. Mykonos is besides benefiting from this home surge. However, contempt these increases, nan wide diminution successful world visitors is simply a important concern. Ferryhopper information from July further confirmed this trend, pinch Santorini experiencing a 4% driblet successful ferry bookings from nan US, Australia, and Canada, while Mykonos remained much stable.

The business is reflected crossed various accommodation platforms, specified arsenic Airbnb and information from nan Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (POX), which showed a gradual diminution successful request since nan commencement of nan year. In fact, POX estimates that nan request for Santorini has decreased by up to 20% compared to 2024, pinch galore travelers opting for different destinations instead.

What is peculiarly noteworthy is that nan diminution successful world request is partially offset by a emergence successful home tourism. Greek travelers are flocking to some Santorini and Mykonos, contributing to nan islands’ shifting demographic profile. These erstwhile exclusively world destinations are now gaining important home momentum. However, this summation isn’t capable to afloat dress up for nan diminution successful overseas visitors.

Several factors are contributing to this changing landscape. Rising prices for accommodation, food, and services are a recurring interest for galore travelers. Both Santorini and Mykonos person agelong been seen arsenic premium destinations, but expanding costs are now pushing visitors to reconsider their choices. Moreover, nan broader economical climate, marked by ostentation and precocious surviving costs, is influencing booking behavior. Many travelers are delaying their decisions, opting for last-minute bookings alternatively of committing good successful advance. This displacement is evident successful nan accrued elasticity offered by online platforms, wherever travelers are making decisions person to departure.

Additionally, title from different Greek islands is reshaping nan tourism landscape. Newer destinations are offering akin high-quality experiences pinch less crowds and little costs. Islands for illustration Hydra and Naxos, for example, are gaining successful fame arsenic travelers activity much authentic, little tourist-heavy experiences. In this sense, Greek tourism is diversifying, pinch travelers moving distant from nan accepted “must-see” spots to observe much hidden gems.

Santorini and Mykonos, while still important to Greek tourism, are opening to look title from different emerging destinations. The domiciled of upwind is besides becoming much salient successful tourists’ decisions, arsenic nan inclination of shoulder-season recreation grows. Travelers are progressively booking trips during precocious outpouring aliases early autumn to debar nan aggravated summertime power and higher prices. This displacement whitethorn consequence successful stronger request for these islands successful nan autumn months.

The power of exertion is besides significant, pinch travelers progressively relying connected AI-based recommendations erstwhile readying their trips. This inclination is further contributing to nan diversification of Greek tourism arsenic group move to integer platforms for proposal connected wherever to spell and what to do.

Santorini is facing a 19% diminution successful visitors, pinch markets for illustration nan US, Canada, Australia, and France contributing to nan drop, while Mykonos shows a 2% recovery, marking a displacement successful Greece’s tourism landscape.

while Santorini and Mykonos stay integral to Greek tourism, nan scenery is evolving. The emergence of home tourism, shifting traveler behaviors, and expanding title from different islands are reshaping these destinations’ roles. As Greek tourism continues to diversify, these islands will request to accommodate to support their spot arsenic apical choices for some home and world travelers.