Greece recorded 31 million international air arrivals in 2025, a increase of 1.7 million passengers or 5.9% over the 29.3 million posted in 2024, according to a study on international air arrivals published by INSETE, the research arm of the Greek Tourism Confederation.

Athens International Airport led the growth among major gateways, handling 12 million international arrivals — up 989,000 or 9% year-on-year. Thessaloniki Airport posted the strongest percentage gain among the three segments, rising 10.2% to 2.7 million passengers, while regional airports collectively handled 16.3 million international arrivals, up 3.1%.

The top five airports accounted for 77% of all international arrivals. The United Kingdom retained its position as Greece’s largest source market with 5.4 million arrivals, a 3.5% increase, while Germany ranked second with 5.1 million passengers and the largest absolute gain of 279,000, up 5.8%. Among individual markets, Israel posted the highest percentage growth at 27.2%, followed by the United States at 18.5% and Turkey at 14.5%.

The top 20 source markets accounted for 89% of total arrivals, with no single market exceeding a 17.4% share — a diversification the study highlights as a key indicator of the sector’s resilience.

July was the peak month, recording 5.2 million arrivals or 16.6% of the annual total. Notably, the strongest growth rates were registered at the beginning and end of the year, underscoring the potential of off-season tourism products, the study notes.

Athens and Thessaloniki both recorded robust growth, reflecting the rising appeal of city-break travel to Greece.