Crete records 7.2% rise in international air arrivals as Chania nears 1 million, INSETE data show

Crete recorded about 3.2 million international air arrivals between January and July 2026, an increase of 7.2% compared with the same period last year, according to the August Statistical Bulletin from INSETE Intelligence, the research arm of the Greek Tourism Confederation.

The region’s growth outpaced most other major Greek destinations, the report said, as Chania airport moved close to 1 million international arrivals for the seven-month period, reaching 959,959 passengers, up 11.3% year-on-year.

National arrivals climb 3.6%

Across Greece’s main airports, international arrivals totalled 15.7 million in the January-July period, an increase of about 541,000 passengers, or 3.6%, over the same period in 2025, INSETE said. In July alone, arrivals exceeded 5 million, up 3.2% year-on-year.

Among Greece’s geographic regions, Crete recorded the highest arrival volume after the Dodecanese, which logged about 2.5 million arrivals, up 2.4%. The Ionian Islands followed closely with 2.3 million arrivals and a stronger growth rate of 6.6%. The Cyclades recorded 668,000 arrivals, up 4.7%, while the Peloponnese, despite a much smaller volume of 154,455 arrivals, posted the highest percentage increase among all regions, at 15.2%.

Heraklion and Chania drive Crete’s totals

Among individual airports, Athens remains far ahead in absolute numbers, with 4.88 million international arrivals in the seven-month period. The capital was nonetheless one of the few major destinations to post a decline, with arrivals falling by about 42,000, or 0.8%, as monthly figures trended slightly downward from April through July, according to INSETE.

Thessaloniki airport reached 1.61 million arrivals, up 6%, while Heraklion airport surpassed 2.26 million, an increase of 5.6%. A separate report has tracked visitor numbers at Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum over the same period. Rhodes remained one of Greece’s strongest destinations with 1.71 million arrivals, up 3.7%, whereas Kos saw a slight decline of 1.2%, to about 729,000 arrivals.

Smaller destinations post the fastest growth

When ranked by growth rate rather than passenger volume, the picture shifts. Kalamata airport recorded the largest percentage increase among Greek airports in the INSETE table, with international arrivals up 20.8% to 107,127. Samos followed closely with a 19.5% rise, to 86,305 arrivals. Karpathos posted growth of 13.9%, Skiathos 12.1%, and Chania 11.3%.

Mykonos also performed strongly, with international arrivals up 9.5% to about 317,000. Corfu recorded roughly 1.21 million arrivals, up 8.3%, while Kefalonia grew by 8%. Zakynthos rose 3%, and Santorini’s arrivals were nearly flat, up just 0.7%. Outside Crete, Kavala and Mytilene were among the few airports to post declines, down 8.8% and 7.7% respectively, alongside Athens and Kos.

INSETE said the seven-month data indicate that this year’s growth in Greek tourism is not confined to the country’s traditional leading destinations. Smaller airports such as Kalamata, Samos, Karpathos and Skiathos posted double-digit growth rates, while the strong performance of Chania and Crete overall reinforces the island’s position as the largest regional hub of inbound tourism to Greece. A separate analysis has found that despite the rising arrival numbers, visitor spending on the island has grown more cautious this season.

Heraklion’s current airport is due to be replaced by a new international facility at Kastelli, where electrification works recently began following ministry approval.