Unfortunately, the collateral damage of the war between Israel and Iran for Greek tourism is starting to become a reality, albeit to a limited extent. Furthermore, the very recent “warning” involvement of the US in the conflict raises additional concerns about a halt in tourist traffic, due to the international climate of uncertainty.
“Tourism is one of the most vulnerable sectors of the economy to any form of geopolitical or economic turmoil. The war in the Middle East, although it has not yet caused mass cancellations, has already effectively suspended the flow of visitors from Israel, a market of strategic importance with high per capita spending and a significant contribution to total tourism receipts. In 2024, approximately 700,000 Israeli arrivals were recorded in Greece, while an increase of 800,000 is expected in 2025. This forecast is now being questioned, as a decrease of around 11% is already being recorded in the scheduled air seats from Israel to Greece, for the period July – October. This fact reinforces concerns for the coming period, especially if geopolitical tension escalates or prolongs,” the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers, Yiannis Hatzis, pointed out to “N.”
The impact of the crisis, according to the president of the Federation, will be proportionally greater in areas that are highly dependent on the Israeli market, such as certain mountainous (e.g. Zagorochoria) or coastal destinations, which in recent years had managed to penetrate this market by basing a significant part of their tourist potential on it.
However, there is currently no particularly worrying indication from the European markets and the USA. On the contrary, there is an increased interest in last-minute bookings, “a fact that reflects a broader dynamic and confirms that tourist demand is maintained at satisfactory levels despite the challenges. However, the situation remains volatile and requires constant monitoring and adaptability,” Hatzis explained.
In Thessaloniki, a city with known special ties with Israel, according to the prefecture’s Hoteliers’ Association, there are no mass cancellations, but only limited ones.
Rhodes is already suffering the biggest blow, where Israelis, according to local tour operators and hoteliers, constitute the third largest market for the island and it is already estimated that approximately 10,000 airline seats from Israel have been lost by the end of June and the same applies for July. In 2024, Rhodes welcomed approximately 140,000 visitors from Israel, while this year, up to May, arrivals reached 25,000.
