ForwardKeys: Heraklion and Thessaloniki among the most popular European destinations for Easter

Two well-known Greek destinations, Heraklion in Crete and Thessaloniki, are among the “must” choices of travellers for their Easter holidays in Europe this year, recording increased demand, as ForwardKeys reveals.

In particular, the two Greek cities recorded an increase in demand by 0.5 and 0.4 percentage points in the share of air searches, an increase which is part of a more general context, with travel to Europe this spring being a more attractive prospect.

This, moreover, is revealed by the data for flight searches during the Easter period of 7-21 April 2025, which recorded an increase of 36% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year (18 March – 1 April 2024). This suggests that with Easter falling later in the year this year, meaning the weather is warmer, a greater number of travellers are choosing ‘sun and beach’ destinations.

In fact, demand for these types of destinations is up 59% compared to last Easter, with destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Greece, Spain and Turkey, scoring ‘points’.

The Mediterranean as a reference point

Palma de Mallorca recorded the most notable increase in travel intent for this year’s Easter period, with a 0.7 percentage point rise in the share of air searches, following a 79% year-on-year increase.

Also, apart from Heraklion and Thessaloniki, Istanbul and Antalya in Turkey are performing strongly, recording an increase in demand of 0.5 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively, indicating the momentum of the approaching summer season.

City breaks destinations attract a smaller share of Easter tourism

Urban destinations (+28%) and shopping destinations (+26%) continue to gain their share of total Easter tourism, albeit slightly lower, compared to the overall growth trend (36%). And some major European cities will see their relative share of intra-regional visitors decline – by less than one percentage point, however – such as Amsterdam (-0.9 percentage points), Geneva (-0.6 percentage points), London (-0.6 percentage points), Paris (-0.5 percentage points) and Berlin (-0.4 percentage points).

Authentic experiences at the heart

Experiences are becoming increasingly important for travellers when choosing a destination, especially for younger travellers, with two out of three Europeans aged 18-54 years old saying that activities and travel experiences are a major influence on the destination decision.

“While iconic cultural sites and attractions continue to top the list of places to visit, more and more travelers – especially Gen-Z and Millennials – are seeking more active, immersive experiences,” says ARIVAL Co-Founder & CEO Douglas Quinby.

“Urban centres, continue to attract visitors, but the growing interest in coastal and Mediterranean destinations reflects broader seasonal and behavioural changes,” says for his part Luis Millan, head of research at ForwardKeys.