While the question of how much the increased cost of air tickets will affect this summer’s demand remains unanswered, with expectations increasingly shifting to last-minute bookings, even greater uncertainty prevails for long-haul markets such as the US and China.
As the overall cost of travel is higher, it is not clear whether travelers will maintain their plans for Greece or reconsider them under the burden of increased fares.
The first indications from the US are ambiguous, as, although all airlines operating on the Greece-North America route have already started direct flights, the focus is now on occupancy. Institute of Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE) data show a complex picture: For this season, the seats offered from the US to Greece amount to 747,600, recording an increase of 2.9% compared to 2025, while reservations until April 27 recorded a drop of 28% compared to the corresponding period last year.
That sharp decrease is alarming, as it indicates restraint and a waiting attitude by US tourists who are among the main sources of support for the Greek tourism product. At the same time, the fact that they appear restrained while it is considered that most of them have sufficient income to cover the increased cost of tickets, is worrying.
China is also of particular interest, as from the pandemic until 2024 the presence of visitors from this particularly important market had almost disappeared. Now, however, the scene is gradually changing, with the addition of new air connections and the return of Chinese travelers giving a new boost to the flows. This year started dynamically, as in the first quarter approximately 35,000 passengers from and to China were handled at Athens airport, recording a yearly increase of 42%.
For 2026, despite the geopolitical volatility, the air connection between China and Greece is picking up speed, with three companies – Air China, Juneyao and Sichuan – expanding their footprint from Athens to key destinations, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu/Tianfu (via Istanbul).