-Data for the first five months of 2025 show a shift in interest towards quieter and more authentic destinations
The data available for the period from 1 January to 31 May 2025, reveal significant changes in the preferences of travellers from the US and UK to the Greek islands, compared to the same period in 2024.
According to analysis by Ferryscanner, the ferry ticketing platform, Americans mainly choose destinations that offer peace and relaxation, while the British are experimenting with new, unexplored island destinations.
American visitors seem to prefer less traditionally popular tourist destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos, for which bookings are down by 50% and 33% respectively. In their place are smaller and less prominent destinations such as Aegina, Skopelos, Alonissos and Poros, which are seeing impressive increases of over 200%, indicating a shift towards tranquility and authenticity. Indicatively, bookings for Aegina have increased by 333%, while Poros has recorded a 350% increase. Meanwhile, Paros rises to second place in Americans’ preferences, surpassing both Mykonos and Santorini.
Travellers from the UK are also showing a willingness to explore beyond the norm. Their interest is shifting to less touristy places such as Lefkada, Sougia, Fourni and Kastelorizo, all with bookings up by over 200%. Lefkada in particular saw a 1,167% increase compared to last year. At the same time, Tinos and Igoumenitsa are recording increased interest this year, as bookings rank them among the top ten most popular destinations for travellers from the UK, while Paros also rises to the top of the list. The picture suggests a more experimental attitude among British travellers with a keen desire to discover new destinations.
The landscape of ferry bookings is changing significantly, as foreign travellers from the US and the UK seek new experiences, emphasising authenticity, tranquillity and uniqueness… Smaller destinations with a traditional character are gaining ground, significantly changing the landscape of Greek tourism.
The findings come from an analysis of bookings made through Ferryscanner for the period 1 January to 31 May 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Ferryscanner is dynamically monitoring developments on the tourism map and will continue to record changes in traveler behavior, returning with new data as the summer season progresses.
