Associated with everything from centuries-old mythology and the establishment of modern democracy to pristine beaches and souvlaki, Greece is an endlessly attractive option for travelers and so lands among the world’s most-visited countries year after year.
But with the increased tourist numbers also come new challenges around overcrowding. The 43 million international tourists who came to Greece in 2025 were a new record; the extreme crowds that have by now become an integral part of experiencing destinations such as Santorini and Mykonos have been causing much internal debate about whether and how tourism should be encouraged.
New air traffic numbers from Fraport Greece and the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority show that Greek islands previously not particularly well-known internationally are now seeing a massive spike in popularity in international visitors: several Ionian Islands west of mainland Greece in particular.
Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Actaeon are the Greek Islands seeing the latest traveler spike
The 76,695 passengers who passed through Corfu Airport (CFU) between January and March 2026 are a 21.9% increase from the previous year while the 12,569 international travelers mark a 206% increase.
The other three Greek islands seeing this type of skyrocketing growth are also located in the Ionian Sea west of Mainland Greece: Zakynthos Airport (ZTH) saw a 17.9% passenger increase in the same time period while Kefalonia Airport (EFL) and Preveza International Airport (PVK) of the Actaeon island chain also saw double-digit increases.
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While the majority of the international tourism comes from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, a growing number of U.S. travelers have also been making one or several of the Ionian Islands a destination on a wider tour of Europe.
The increasing tourism numbers come in large part due to the increased air connectivity with several European hubs through many different airlines.
Prior to the launch of new flights, many European travelers arrived by ferry from Athens. Corfu (by far the most well-known and popular of the Ionian Islands) is also a popular port stop for many major cruise companies sailing in the area during the summer.
Contrary to the popular Cycladic Islands, the Ionian Islands were never under Ottoman rule and so retain much Italian and Mediterranean influence on the architecture in their port towns.
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The tourism season has extended
“We are interested not only in increasing arrivals but also in extending the tourism season and attracting higher-quality tourism capable of generating wider economic benefits for local communities,” Ionian Islands Governor Ionnais Trepeklis said in a comment on the air traffic data for the start of 2026.
Prior to the jet fuel crisis of this year, Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air added islands like Rhodes and Zakynthos to its flight network, while other airlines that fly directly to the Ionian islands include Condor, EasyJet, and Lufthansa.
Several major hotel chains have also set their sights on building new properties in the coming years.
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Separately, Makri in the Echinades archipelago in the Ionian Sea is currently being auctioned off at a starting price of €247,000. The uninhabited island could be someone’s private paradise but is not well-suited to resort development due to the large swaths of hills and forest.
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