Greece protests over UK tourists 'backfire' as 'record number' of Brits take action

Greece protests over UK tourists 'backfire' as 'record number' of Brits take action
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Protests in Greece over UK tourism and holidaymakers have seemingly backfired - with a record number flocking there. Passenger traffic at the 24 airports managed by Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) increased 5.4 per cent according to provisional figures.

The data, which runs for January to August 2024, was released on Monday. In total, there were 8,184,830 passenger arrivals and departures on both foreign and domestic flights, up from 7,762,918 during the same period in 2023.

The largest increases in traffic in August 2024 relative to the previous year were at the airports of Kasos (60.4 per cent), Milos (36.3 per cent) and Sitia (29.8 per cent). Athens International Airport (AIA) achieved a new milestone during the January-August period.

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The capital city was hugely successful, welcoming 21,260,634 passengers, a 13.9 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. According to airport data, both domestic and international traffic exceeded 2023 levels by 7.8 per cent and 16.6 per cent, respectively.

The airport handled 180,594 flights during this time, marking an 11.8 per cent rise from the previous year. Passenger traffic at the 14 regional airports operated by Fraport Greece exceeded 25.6 million in the first eight months of 2024, representing a 6.4 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023.

From January to August, domestic traffic rose by 7 per cent, while international traffic saw a 6.2 per cent year-on-year increase. The number of flights also grew by 4.3 per cent over the same period. It comes as Greek residents have been growing frustrated with the overwhelm of tourists flooding their country over the summer.

Mykonos resident Chrysiida Dimoulidou said to the Telegraph newspaper over the influx of tourists on the island: “It’s no longer the Mykonos I loved – they are building everywhere and it’s losing all its charm."