The crisis in the Middle East is expected to leave its mark on Rhodes tourism in the coming period, but if geopolitical instability continues, also for the rest of the year, with cancellations from the Israeli market causing serious concern for the island’s hotel industry.
The president of the Rhodes Hoteliers’ Association, Mr. Yiannis Papavassiliou, in his statements to Tornos News, points out that all reservations from Israel for the period up to and including July 2025 have been canceled. “All remaining reservations are in ‘stand by’ status, that is, awaiting information on whether flights will start or not,” he specifically points out.
Currently, approximately 2,000 Israelis are “trapped” on the island due to the inability to return, being hosted in hotel units, and looking for a way to return to their homeland or continue their stay under uncertainty. “We will see who will ultimately cover the cost of this hospitality,” notes the president, emphasizing that at the moment, their hospitality takes precedence.
A lost year if the crisis continues, with losses of 110,000 Israelis
The Israeli market is an important part of Rhodes’ tourism. In 2024, the island welcomed approximately 140,000 visitors from Israel, while this year, up to May, arrivals reached 25,000, as Mr. Papavassiliou emphasizes
“If the crisis in the M. If the East continues, based on last year’s figures, the entire season is considered lost by this market, resulting in 110,000 Israeli visitors being ‘lost’ from Rhodes,” points out the president of the Rhodes Hoteliers’ Association.
However, according to him, the remaining markets of Rhodes tourism have not been affected.
Most Israeli tourists to Rhodes come on the basis of travel packages, with Arka being the most prevalent tour operator, while some others stay on Airbnb-type platforms, the exact number of which is difficult to calculate.
In the first 12 months of 2024, Israeli passenger traffic in Rhodes, according to data from “Diagoras” airport, amounted to 282,059 passengers, the bulk of whom fueled the island’s tourism from April to October. According to the same data, in July 2024, which is considered a “lost” month this year by the market in question, Israeli passenger traffic in Rhodes amounted to 62,080 and in August to 58,365.
At the same time, during the first two months of 2025, in which a significant presence of Israelis is recorded at the airport, namely April – May, 14,068 and 15,523 Israeli arrivals were recorded at the airport, respectively.
