Back in the spotlight of international tourism demand—at least as far as the short-term rental market is concerned—the country’s two premium island destinations are making a comeback, showing signs of recovery after a period of stagnation in recent years.
These two iconic destinations in the Cyclades are showing a clear improvement compared to 2025, both in terms of occupancy rates and prices, confirming that demand for high-end services remains strong.
According to data from Beyond Pricing, Santorini recorded a 21% increase in occupancy for 2026 compared to last year, while the average daily room rate (ADR) rose by 15%. This trend signals a significant recovery for a destination that had recently faced significant challenges.
Revenue per available room (RevPAR) is also on the rise, showing a significant improvement of approximately 24%, indicating that the recovery is not limited to the number of bookings but is also translating into higher profitability for businesses.
A particularly positive sign is that demand for Santorini is building up quite early. The island’s booking window (i.e., the period from the date of booking to the date of travel) stands at 48.7 days, indicating that visitors—and particularly those with higher spending power—plan their trips well in advance. It should be noted that Santorini’s booking window is the longest among the Greek destinations under review.
Mykonos is following a similar trend and is also showing a significant recovery. According to the data, occupancy is 21% higher than in 2025, while ADR has increased by 7%. At the same time, revenue per available room has risen by approximately 25.6%, with the booking window on the Island of the Winds standing at about 34 days.
Athens: A Destination in Its Own Right
Beyond the country’s two premium island destinations, Athens is also among the winners of this year’s tourist season. The Greek capital appears to be continuing to strengthen its role as a standalone tourist destination.
Occupancy rates in Athens in 2026 are approximately 33% higher than in 2025 throughout the entire period. The difference in favor of this year remains stable at every stage of the season, indicating that the improvement is not a temporary trend but a structural shift in demand.
However, market behavior differs significantly from that of island destinations. Athens does not experience a new peak in August, as its nature as an urban destination with a shorter booking window means that the bulk of demand has already been established by mid-June.
On the pricing front, the picture is more subdued. Athens’ ADR is roughly 5 to 10 euros lower than last year for most of the June–August period. The two years converge toward the end of August, indicating that the market maintains a stable pricing policy without major deviations—a characteristic of a mature urban market.
In the country’s other major urban center, Thessaloniki, the data point to weaker demand compared to 2025, with occupancy rates remaining consistently 8–12 percentage points lower throughout the summer season. Despite lower occupancy rates, average daily rates (ADR) rose significantly by 44% for most of the summer. The average rate per night reached nearly 195 euros in August, compared to 115 euros in the same month last year.
Crete Remains a Stable Choice, While Rhodes and Corfu Face Pressure
Crete is emerging as one of the most balanced destinations. Occupancy on the island has increased by 4%, while the average daily rate has risen by 9%, confirming the island’s stable position in the market.
Crete stands out because it combines steady demand with the ability to maintain high prices. The ADR is approximately 30–50 euros higher than last year for a significant portion of the season and starts at around 315 euros, compared to about 270 euros at the end of June.
Rhodes, on the other hand, is following a different trajectory and faces greater challenges. Despite a 23% increase in prices, occupancy rates have fallen by 22% compared to 2025, indicating that the rise in prices has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in demand.
Corfu is also among the… weak links of this season, with an 18% drop in occupancy rates compared to 2025. The average price has risen slightly by 6%.
Overall, the short-term rental market in Greece shows a 7% annual increase in occupancy, reaching 41%, while the ADR has declined by 4.5% to 104 euros, compared to 109 euros in 2025. As for the booking window, it has increased to approximately 20 days, with the average length of stay falling by 4% to 3.6 nights.
The Challenge of Extending Stays
And while the season has been marked by a positive start to the year, the major challenge for Greek tourism remains capitalizing on the period following the peak demand in August.
The data show that demand peaks early, with the highest concentration of searches occurring in late June and early July, and a second wave of interest recorded in early August. However, after August 19, demand—as reflected in occupancy rates—declines significantly.
Occupancy rates remain high throughout July, at around 40%–43%, but a sharp decline is observed after August 28. This trend indicates that the market continues to be heavily concentrated during the peak summer season, leaving room for greater utilization of September.
A prime example is September 1, when search volume increases but occupancy remains at around 22%. The gap between traveler interest and actual bookings indicates that there is latent demand that has not yet translated into stays.
At the same time, seasonal pressure is also evident in prices. After August 27, the ADR drops to around 190–215 euros, following the same trend as last year.