11.12.2023
According to the latest data from the Greek Tourism Confederation, SETE, the two largest cities in Greece, Athens and Thessaloniki, are still the most popular. They have an increased number of passengers visiting when compared to the same period in 2022. In total, in the first ten months of 2023, passengers arriving at all international airports in Greece numbered 23 million. Athens’s airport received 28.4% more travelers than last year (measuring until October), and Thessaloniki had 20.3% more travelers during this time.
For most European travelers who fly to Greece, Athens and Thessaloniki are a starting point for a journey. For example, from Thessaloniki, you can reach the Chalkidiki peninsula, Pelion, or Mount Olympus. From Athens airport, popular destinations are the Peloponnese, Evia, and the Greek islands.
Of all the airports in Greece, the airports in Lesbos, Thassos, and Zakynthos islands had the largest growth. Lesbos received 15% more tourists through its airport in the period from April to September. Thassos, served by Kavala Airport, received 20% more vacationers. The island of Zakynthos received almost 10% more tourists from April to September when compared to numbers from last year. Heraklion, in Crete, had an increase of 4.7% in international arrivals by air between January and October, totaling 3.6 million arrivals. Chania, similarly, had 1.4 million visitors by air, an increase of 8.6%.In the Dodecanese, from January to October of 2023, Rhodes received 2.6 million international arrivals by air (a 2.9% increase), Kos received 1.3 million international arrivals (a 5.3% increase), and Karpathos had 90,000 international arrivals (a 2.7% increase).
Out of all the airports in Greece, only Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, and Chania (the last two are in Crete) receive flights all year round. The smaller airports only have flights within Greece during the Winter months. The biggest month for tourists traveling to Greece is July – surprisingly, the numbers are even higher than in August.
Of the changes happening in Greece that benefit European travelers, Crete will soon have a larger airport in Heraklion by 2025. A new network of roads is also being built in Crete to make travel easier. In the Cycladic Islands, a new domestic airline, Fly Cycladic, will let you fly between some of the most popular Cycladic islands in small, 12-person propeller planes.
07.08.2026
Greece is taking an important step in environmental protection, becoming the first country in the world to deploy a national satellite system for wildfire detection and monitoring. First launched in May and expected to become fully operational in September 2026, the new Hellenic Fire System brings advanced space technology to Greece's efforts against wildfires.
06.08.2026
If you own a home in the Peloponnese or have been quietly thinking about buying one, there is some news you should be aware of: At the end of June, a 40-year concession for Kalamata International Airport "Kapetan Vasilis Konstantakopoulos" was signed by a consortium led by Fraport, together with the Kopelouzos Group's Delta Airport Investments and the Konstantakopoulos Group's PILEAS. According to the National Development Fund, which retains a 10% stake in the new company, the initial concession payment is 45 million euros, and the planned investment programme is expected to exceed 125 million euros over time.
In short: Kalamata's airport is set to roughly double its traffic by 2030, with a new terminal three times the size of the current one. For anyone with a house in the region, or an eye on one, that matters.
03.08.2026
A new regulation regarding the calculation of ENFIA (Eniaios Phoros Idioktesias Akineton/annual property tax) was announced by the Greek Ministry of National Economy and Finance. The purpose of this regulation appears to be to address cases where property owners were previously taxed on more square meters than their property actually has. The new regulation, which is expected to take effect in the 2027 tax year, introduces the Electronic Building ID as a key factor in determining taxable floor area.
28.07.2026
As UNESCO recently announced, Mount Olympus – also known as the Home of Ancient Greek Gods, or Greece’s highest mountain – has been added to the list of World Heritage Sites. Of course, Greece welcomed the news with a wave of euphoria, as Mount Olympus is widely recognized for its cultural and natural significance.
23.06.2026
Moving your life to a new country brings enough to think about, including the costs. For those settling permanently in Greece, there is some welcome news on that front. Bringing your household belongings and even your car can come with relief from customs duty, VAT and vehicle registration tax. The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has recently set out clearer rules on how this works. It's important to clarify that this relief is not exactly new, but what has changed is a significant detail: a recent AADE circular (reference E.2027/2026) spells out the eligibility, the supporting documents and the procedure, with the aim of handling applications more consistently across customs offices.
14.05.2026
For many people who own, or plan to buy, a home in Greece, the journey is part of the experience. Some fly directly to Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, or Chania. Others prefer slower travel, combining trains, ferries, buses, and regional routes across Europe. Until now, however, planning a cross-border trip by train has often required patience, several booking platforms, and a healthy tolerance for uncertainty. A new proposal from the European Commission aims to make that process much simpler. The plan introduces a more unified system for booking cross-border journeys across Europe, especially train journeys involving more than one operator. The goal is clear: travellers should be able to search, compare, and book a complete journey through one platform, even when different transport companies are involved. For international buyers, second-home owners, and regular visitors to Greece, this could become an important step towards easier, more flexible travel across Europe.
07.05.2026
If you own property in specific areas of the Regional Unit of Rethymno in Crete, there is an important deadline to keep in mind. As of 30 April 2026, the posting of cadastral data begins for several areas in Rethymno, giving property owners the opportunity for the first time to review how their property has been recorded in the Hellenic Cadastre. This is an important stage in the cadastral process. It allows each owner to check the legal and technical details of their property before the records become final. In simple terms, this is the moment to confirm that your property has been correctly registered and, if something is wrong, to request a correction within the official deadline.
30.04.2026
Buying a home in Greece has always come with a long list of pleasures: sea views, sunny terraces, village squares, fresh fish by the water, and the small but serious joy of never being too far from a good bakery. Soon, for many destinations, there may be another reason to smile: better airports. Greece is preparing for a new wave of airport upgrades, with a major tender planned for 22 regional airports that are still under state management. The project is expected to mark the next chapter in the modernization of Greek aviation infrastructure, following the earlier upgrade of the 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece. For travellers, this means smoother journeys. For local communities, it means better connectivity. And for international property buyers, it could make certain areas of Greece even more attractive.
