Lesvos on the path to tourism revival - What V. Myrsinias and P. Hadjikyriakos say to T.N.

Lesvos appears to have left the difficult times behind and is rebuilding its reputation as a value-for-money, authentic, and high-quality tourist destination with a focus on thematic tourism. So far, all indications are that 2025 followed in the "footsteps" of 2024, the best year ever for the destination.

"It seems that 2025 is also moving at the very good levels of last year, with some reservation as to how the final picture will shape up," stated the President of the Lesvos Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Vaggelis Myrsinias, in comments to Tornos News. "Lesvos is on a positive trajectory because it offers quality vacations with high value for money, thanks to its environment, gastronomy, and excellent quality-to-price ratio," he emphasizes.

It is no coincidence that, according to data from INSETE, during last year's record season, the North Aegean recorded the highest percentage increase in visits in Greece among the six main markets for Greek tourism (Germany, UK, USA, France, Italy, Netherlands), reaching +40.1%.

During the 2025 season, Lesvos had 25 weekly charter flights from abroad, a particularly satisfactory number for the island’s size, with the main markets being the Scandinavian countries, the UK, and the Netherlands, through partnerships with major tour operators such as Jet2, Corendon, TUI, and Apollo. There was also a strong and continuing presence on the island of visitors from Poland, Belgium, Slovenia, Romania, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

"Compared to last year, overall, we are slightly lower, but there are no significant deviations," highlights the President of the Lesvos Association of Travel and Tourism Agents, Mr. Panagiotis Chatzikyriakos. The European markets, he notes, are expected to remain at roughly last year's levels.

From Turkey—a key market for the island—the outlook is also expected to be similar to last year’s. "From the beginning of the year until September, there is a recorded decrease of around 8%, but the difference will not be significant by the end of 2025," says Mr. Chatzikyriakos. He estimates there is still time for the 105,000 arrivals from Turkey recorded so far to approach last year’s level of 125,000.

Furthermore, the tourism flow from Turkey shows repeat behavior. "Turkish visitors are quite loyal to the destination and to a large extent return to Lesvos," notes Mr. Myrsinias. Contributing to this are shared habits in entertainment and consumption, the island’s gastronomy, and the fact that Turkish visitors take advantage of their many movable religious holidays to travel throughout the year.

At the same time, the Greek market had a significant impact on the 2025 season for Lesvos, particularly in relation to religious tourism, thanks to the large number of monasteries the destination offers. This is also a reason for year-round visits to the island by Greek travelers.

Additionally, individual travelers from abroad—particularly valuable due to their high spending—visit Lesvos with a focus on thematic tourism, which the island is well-suited for. Moreover, a key attraction for educational tourism from countries around the world is the Lesvos Geopark and Petrified Forest, which is part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

+3.5% increase in airport passenger traffic

The positive trend in 2025 is also confirmed by the picture of passenger traffic at the airport. According to data from Fraport Greece, during the first eight months of 2025, passenger traffic increased by 3.5% compared to the period January–August 2024, reaching 410,760.

The largest increase was recorded in April 2025 (+17.3%), aided by the calendar coincidence of Easter, followed by August with +7.6%. January (+4.7%), June (+4.5%), and July (+2.7%) also saw increases.

International passenger traffic at Mytilene Airport rose by 1.2%, while domestic traffic increased by +4.8%. Domestic traffic performed particularly well, with the largest increases recorded in April (+17.6%), June (+9.9%), January (+4.7%), August (+4.1%), and July (+3.5%).

As for international traffic, the biggest increase was seen in August (+11.6%), followed by April (+10.6%).

"To move to the next step, we need more beds"

The upward trend in arrivals brings new challenges to the table. "I believe the time has come for more dynamic investments on the island," notes Mr. Chatzikyriakos.

Improving infrastructure—particularly port facilities—enhancing connectivity through air and sea routes, and new hotel investments are the “must-haves.”

"When the season goes well, we fall short on overnight stays," points out Mr. Chatzikyriakos, referring to the lack of accommodation capacity. "To move to the next step, we need more beds. And this becomes evident in summer, when the surge in arrivals cannot be met by demand." Even more so considering that this "surge" in arrivals only lasts for 3–4 months a year. The season in Lesvos begins in May and ends in late September, with peak months being July and August.

Additionally, the increase in bed supply will bring more flights via tour operators, Mr. Chatzikyriakos notes.

Overnight stays up, revenue down

Of course, the international economic climate this year has not left Lesvos unaffected, and has been felt by local businesses.

As Mr. Myrsinias points out, "The food and beverage sector has shown a shortfall, although other indicators show an increase." "This year, we observed that regardless of market, travelers had lower purchasing power compared to the previous two years, resulting in restrained spending on services such as accommodation, dining, and excursions," adds Mr. Chatzikyriakos. "Travelers are becoming more frugal."

As a result, even though some markets showed an increased number of overnight stays, revenues experienced a slight decline compared to last year.