The estimation that this year’s World Travel Market in London was “the most successful of the recent years, at least from the covid era and after,” was expressed by Manos Drakonakis, Managing Director of Danaos Travel Services, speaking to Tornos News.
“The activity was very intense, with very many meetings in all sectors. The interest for Greece was enormous,” he mentioned characteristically.
Demand for all destinations – not only the “usual suspects”
As Mr. Drakonakis emphasized, the demand for Greece has now expanded beyond the established destinations: “We do not see only the same islands attracting the interest, but a generalized demand for the whole country. The great demand of recent years has ‘locked’ some destinations at the level of beds – every year they break occupancy records – and now the tour operators are seeking new outlets. We see increasing interest for Samos, Karpathos, Zakynthos, Halkidiki, even for the Peloponnese, which seems to be ready for a ‘boom’.”
However, as he noted, “everything depends on the airlines and how they will design their plans. The tour operators are pushing, but everything is still open.”
The British market remains the ‘driving force’
British tourism continues to ‘dominate’ in Greece, covering “at least 50% of the market,” according to the Managing Director of Danaos. “And it will continue – both through the traditional tour operators (Jet2, TUI UK) and through the online platforms such as On the Beach and Love Holidays, which increase their turnovers in our country every year.”
As he revealed, the early bookings for 2026 are already encouraging: “Especially for June and September, the demand is very high. May remains a question mark, because Easter of 2026 is very early (5 April the Catholic and 12 the Orthodox), something that creates a ‘gap’ in the market of the northern countries.”
In contrast, as he observes, the autumn months, September, October, even November, are steadily gaining ground and “offset” the possible loss of April.
“In volume and arrivals, 2025 was a record year. And everything shows that in 2026 we will surpass it.”
The French market declined but recovery is expected
Regarding the markets of Central Europe, Manos Drakonakis expressed moderate concern: “The economic situation in Germany and France is particular; we have not seen something like this before. The French market closed 2025 in Greece with about -7% in turnover, a single-digit but significant number because of volume.”
However, he estimated that this drop may prove temporary: “Historically, when one year France falls, the next it doubles. We expect to see it. Travel is a need and a culture for the French and the German, and Greece is now among the Top 5 destinations for these markets.”
Athens: from city break to full destination
Mr. Drakonakis also pointed out the steady rise of Athens as a destination: “The capital has been established as a city and weekend destination, but also as a base for resort holidays in Evia, the Peloponnese, Marathon, and the southern suburbs. The demand is very big and the flights toward ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ are constantly increasing from all over Europe.”
As he added, “even from Poland, Czechia, France, and Germany there is now increasing interest for Athens.”
The prices and the ‘complaining’ of tour operators
Commenting on the reactions of the tour operators about the prices in Greece, the Managing Director of Danaos mentioned: “The issue of prices must be seen on two levels — on the one hand, to what extent the customer can respond, and on the other hand, how the prices compare with the competing countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and Spain.”
He reminded that Turkey in 2025 proceeded with excessive increases, resulting in remaining “empty” until June and then filling with special offers in the summer.
“In Greece we had very good flow until mid-July, then there was a small drop, something explained because at that period many turned to Turkey. But the last minute now represents less than 50% of the bookings since by the end of March we have already received more than 50–55% of the season’s bookings.”
As he explains, “the price increases are often ‘balanced’ by the early booking discounts (which reach up to -25%) and the flash sales. The game is dynamic. The hoteliers have now been trained and closely follow the developments.”
Concluding, Manos Drakonakis estimated that 2026 will be another strong year for Greece: “We will move at least at the same levels as this year in turnovers and overnight stays, maybe even a bit higher. The important thing is to maintain the quality of our services and remain competitive.”
