Britons are increasingly choosing Greek islands such as Corfu and Rhodes over Spanish destinations like Benidorm and Marbella after Greece abolished biometric border checks for British visitors, new data shows.
Greece's unilateral move
In mid-April, the Greek government unilaterally decided to ignore the European Commission's instructions regarding the EU entry-exit system (EES). The Advantage Travel Partnership, which represents over 700 travel agency members, has revealed exclusively to The Independent that Greece has overtaken mainland Spain in new summer bookings from UK travellers.
Spain has traditionally been the leading destination for British holidaymakers. However, the share of bookings for mainland Spain dropped from 8.7 per cent to 7 per cent during the last two weeks of April.
Rising demand for Greece
Conversely, Greece's share of bookings increased from 7.7 per cent in mid-April to 9.8 per cent by the end of the month.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage, said: “We have seen a clear and consistent uplift in demand for the destination across our travel agent membership.
“This shift suggests that travellers are increasingly factoring in the potential for disruption at EU borders when making their holiday choices and are actively opting for destinations where the arrival experience is likely to be smoother and more predictable.
“It reinforces our long-standing position that the rollout of EES in its current form risks undermining confidence at a critical time when families are thinking of booking for the summer.
“While we welcome pragmatic decisions such as Greece’s to ease pressure during the peak summer period, a broader, coordinated pause across the EU remains essential. This would give authorities the necessary time to address operational challenges, ensure consistency across destinations, and ultimately protect the traveller experience.”
Brussels' response
Even though there is no legal basis for the Greek move, Brussels has not so far acted to bring Athens into line. The European Commission insists the roll-out of the EU entry-exit system is going well in most locations.
Once the Canaries and Balearics are added, Spain remains well ahead of Greece in overall sales.
