Turkish tourists pour into Greek islands despite Aegean tensions
More than 1.6 million Turkish visitors have traveled to Greek islands since the introduction of a simplified visa scheme in April 2024, generating an estimated €835.2 million in tourism spending, according to calculations based on data from Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Bank of Greece.
The figures highlight the growing popularity of short trips across the Aegean despite longstanding political and military tensions between Türkiye and Greece.
Island travel surges after visa scheme
Travel from Türkiye to the Greek islands was already rising before the simplified visa system was introduced.
Some 211,287 Turkish visitors traveled to the islands through Turkish ports in 2022. The figure nearly doubled to 413,939 in 2023.
The increase accelerated after the visa-on-arrival scheme took effect in April 2024. A total of 654,910 Turkish visitors traveled to the islands that year, including 623,462 after the scheme was introduced.
In 2025, the number remained high at 642,179 visitors. During the first seven months of 2026, another 403,333 Turkish visitors made the crossing, 22.8% more than during the same period a year earlier.
Cheaper trips attract Turkish travelers
The €60 visa provides eligible Turkish citizens and their families with a simplified route to selected Greek islands for stays of up to seven days.
The scheme offers an alternative to the standard Schengen visa process and has helped facilitate short ferry trips from Türkiye’s Aegean coast.
The program initially covered 10 islands and has since expanded to 12, including Chios, Kos, Lesvos, Rhodes, Samos, Symi, Patmos and Samothraki. It is currently scheduled to remain in place until April 2027.
Short ferry routes drive demand
The crossings are often completed in less than two hours, making the islands accessible for weekend and short holiday trips.
The route from Cesme to Chios can take as little as 20 minutes, while Kusadasi-Samos generally takes between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours. Bodrum-Kos takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes, while Marmaris-Rhodes takes about an hour.
Cesme recorded the highest number of departures during the first seven months of 2026, with 137,197 visitors, followed by Kusadasi with 56,360 and Ayvalik with 50,138. Marmaris recorded 42,238.
Greece benefits from rising tourism receipts
Turkish visitors have become an increasingly important source of tourism revenue for Greece, particularly for the Eastern Aegean islands.
Turkish tourists generated €544 million in travel receipts across Greece in 2025, while the country's total travel receipts reached €23.6 billion.
During the first half of 2026, Greece recorded €8.8 billion in travel receipts, an increase of 14.8% from the same period a year earlier. International visitor arrivals rose 15.4% to 13.5 million, according to Bank of Greece data.
The growth in cross-Aegean travel has therefore created a notable economic link between communities on both sides of a region long marked by political disputes, with tourism providing a growing channel for everyday travel and spending between Türkiye and Greece.
Source:turkiyetoday
