At an event held on Monday, May 20, at Athens International Airport (AIA), data showcased the significant impact of the UK market on extending Greece’s tourist season. British Airways reported that the volume of UK tourists visiting Greece during the off-peak period in 2023 has nearly doubled compared to previous years.
Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communications & Marketing at AIA, highlighted that between October and April, tourist arrivals from the UK in 2023 increased by 77% compared to 2016. This growth means the off-peak season now accounts for nearly half of the annual tourist arrivals.
The upward trend continues, with a 7% increase in UK passengers arriving at AIA in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. In 2023, AIA welcomed over 1.8 million passengers from the UK, surpassing the 1.6 million recorded in 2019, which was the second-highest year historically.
The UK market ranks as the third largest for international direct traffic and second for foreign visitors in the Jan-April 2024 period, marking a 24% increase from the same period in 2023. British Airways has significantly contributed to this growth, reporting a 6.6% increase in passengers in the first four months of this year compared to last year.
