Some 1.4 mln Turks expected to visit Greece this year

ISTANBUL

The number of visitors from Türkiye to Greece is expected to reach 1.4 million this year, according to a report by the Hotel Association of Türkiye (TÜROB).

Last year, 1.2 million Turks traveled to the neighboring country, spending around 1 billion euros, the association said.

Some 800,000 people from Greece are expected to visit Türkiye in 2025, up from 707,133 people in 2024, according to the report. The most popular destinations for Greek visitors are Istanbul, Edirne, Cappadocia, Bursa, Ayvalık, İzmir and Trabzon, it noted.

The two countries can only reach “a tourism potential of 3 million visitors” if transportation alternatives are effectively utilized, the report said, citing experts.

It is important to continue promotional efforts reciprocally to enhance tourism relations between the two countries, the association said.

Although the number of flights between the two countries is increasing, launching low-cost flights from Athens and Thessaloniki at price levels closer to those in EU countries would significantly contribute to the number of tourists visiting both Türkiye and Greece, according to TÜROB.

The tourism services and products of Türkiye and Greece are not competitors but rather complementary to each other, the report noted.

“We believe that marketing tourism demand from distant destinations through packages covering both countries will significantly contribute to overall tourism demand,” the association said.