While Airbnb bookings in Athens for the June-September period were shown to have increased by only 1.4%, bookings for island destinations have boomed, according to a report by Kathimerini.

Specifically, Airbnb bookings in the Dodecanese rose by 46.8%, in the Cyclades by 43.8%, in Epirus by 38.9%, in the Ionian Islands by 35.6%, and in Crete by 36.2%.

Kos island has seen the single biggest increase in stays, with bookings rising by 101.7% compared to 2019. Tinos too has seen a significant increase in Airbnb bookings by 59.7%, Santorini by 58.3%, Corfu by 57.2%, Zakynthos by 51.7%, and Rhodes by 44.7%. In the Cyclades, Naxos (51.5%), Milos (50.4%) and Mykonos (38.8%) also recorded a significant increase.

According to a presentation by AirDNA, in the context of a virtual event by the ULI (Urban Land Institute), until June 12 a 27% increase in demand (based on the number of bookings) was recorded for the June-September period compared to the corresponding period of 2019.

AirDNA’s Vice President of Research, Jamie Lane says that given the current data for July and August this year, 1.3 million bookings have been made in short-term rental accommodation, compared to 600,000 bookings last year, the figures are impressive. The VP also commented that the discrepancy in bookings in Attica/Athens and bookings in the Greek islands is owed to the fact that islands also receive domestic tourism, while urban numbers are based only on bookings by foreign visitors.

In May 2022, overnight stays nationwide have risen by 109.4% compared to the same month last year, and 32% higher than in May 2019, while the average increase at a pan-European level did not exceed 11.4%. Equally positive is the fact that in April and May this year, the average national occupancy rate reached nearly 50%, surpassing for the first time the corresponding level of 2019.

With information from moneyreview.gr.