Crete leads Greek tourism with 3.2 million international air arrivals

Crete has emerged as the leading tourist destination in Greece in terms of international air arrivals, according to data from INSETE Intelligence for the seven-month period from January to July 2026.

During this period, the island recorded a total of 3.225 million international arrivals, representing a 7.2% increase compared to the same period in 2025. The growth was driven by significant activity at the Chania and Heraklion airports.

Chania saw an 11.3% rise in arrivals, totaling 959,959. Heraklion, which handles the largest volume of traffic on the island, recorded 2,264,773 arrivals, a 5.6% increase. In July alone, the two airports combined welcomed over 1.146 million international passengers.