Tourism: Athens “takes off” in the third and fourth quarters of 2023

Athens is “soaring” in terms of tourism in both the third and fourth quarters of 2023 according to the latest CityDNA Barometer Report, which is based on the latest ForwardKeys data on booked airline tickets.

Athens, which has been “flooded” with tourists these days, is in first place in the third quarter based on the percentage of increase in air tickets compared to the corresponding period of 2019, while it is in second place for the same reason in the fourth quarter of 2023.

In particular, in the third quarter, the Greek capital recorded an increase in international arrivals by 6% compared to 2019, in contrast to other major cities in southern Europe that recorded decreases. For the fourth quarter of 2023, Athens with a 13% increase in arrivals compared to 2019 occupies second place, but with the same percentage as Lisbon (13%).

The European travel and tourism sector shows promising signs for the final quarter of 2023, as the report shows that top European Southern European destinations approach pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter of 2023. Southern European destinations are expected to continue to lead . Cities such as Lisbon and Athens saw double-digit growth in Q4, up 13%. Istanbul and London are also gradually rising in the ranking of destinations with the biggest recovery, the report says.

Airline capacity for international travel in Europe reached almost pre-pandemic levels during Q3 and is on an upward trend heading into Q4 – a much-needed boost to get travel across Europe taking off again,” he says. Olivier Ponti, Vice President of Insights at ForwardKeys;

This increase in air supply has so far been met by a continued increase in demand, which we expect will push many destinations back to pre-pandemic levels, while overall volume will continue its recovery towards 2024, adds Ponti.