Early figures for this year's tourist season in Crete are positive

Nikos Koumnas, president of the Rethymno Hoteliers Association, paints a positive picture of how this year’s tourist season is going in Rethymno, emphasizing that arrivals and occupancy rates remain high, despite the geopolitical developments that occasionally affect the market. As he told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), April ultimately recorded an increase of nearly 5%, while May also saw an increase of approximately 5% compared to the same period last year. For June, he estimated that occupancy rates would range between 85% and 90%, noting that the improvement in the international climate is having a positive impact on traveler sentiment and booking trends.

Referring to the peak months, he pointed out that July and August in Rethymno—as well as throughout the island—continue to depend heavily on last-minute bookings, a trend that has been consistently observed in recent years. At the same time, he described the outlook for September as particularly positive, while also expressing optimism for the first half of October.

Mr. Koumnas emphasized that Crete has consistently demonstrated its resilience in the face of international crises, noting that, despite the upheavals of recent years, the destination continues to maintain its momentum.

However, he made it clear that the positive trend in arrivals does not automatically translate into higher profitability for businesses. «Net profit has declined due to rising operating costs,» he noted, adding that many hotels are forced to offer special promotions in order to maintain high occupancy rates.

At the same time, he announced that contract negotiations with tour operators for 2027 have already begun. According to him, the first agreements are showing price increases that exceed the rate of inflation.

Meanwhile, the president of the Rethymno Hoteliers Association also referred to efforts to tap into the Indian market, on the occasion of a familiarization trip for Indian travel agents hosted in Crete, expressing his belief that a systematic approach to new markets can create significant prospects for the destination’s future.

Pepi Birliraki, vice president of the Rethymno Hoteliers Association, echoed this sentiment, noting that this year’s tourist season is proceeding smoothly, with high occupancy rates and steady demand in the destination’s key markets. “At this time, there isn’t a single vacant room in the city’s accommodations, while those outside the city center still have room for further growth,” Ms. Birliraki told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).

As he noted, businesses in Rethymno continue to invest in expanding their customer base and tapping into new markets, with both conference tourism as well as the wedding tourism sector, both showing an upward trend for the destination.

Following the recent familiarization trip to Crete by Indian travel agents, Pepi Birliraki emphasized that seeking out new markets is a strategic choice for Rethymno, as it lays the groundwork for greater resilience of the destination and further growth in tourism activity in the coming years.

At the same time, he noted that outreach and the continuous promotion of the destination are key tools for maintaining Rethymno’s competitiveness in a constantly changing international environment, with strengthening its presence in new and existing markets being a key priority for the industry.

The outlook is also positive for Crete as a whole, as air arrivals are on the rise, with Heraklion Airport recording an 8.1% compared to last year. Specifically,

N. Kazantzakis Airport served 1,139,079 passengers, compared to 1,054,181 in May 2025.

The picture in Chania is similarly positive, as 959,526 passengers passed through Chania Airport from January through May, compared to 835,286 during the corresponding five-month period in 2025, marking a 14.9% increase, a figure that confirms the continued strong momentum of Cretan tourism this year as well.

In any case, the flagship of Greek tourism appears to have emerged unscathed from the crisis in the Middle East and is now heading into a year marked by widespread optimism about its future.

Mr. Halkiadakis