Turkish tourists landing on Greek islands
Arrivals tripled in the first 10 days of April compared to last year with the ‘visa express’
The Greek islands are reaping the rewards of the seven-day “visa express” granted to Turkish citizens, with arrivals in the first 10 days of April tripling compared to last year.
The data presented exclusively by Kathimerini show indicatively that arrivals on Lesvos reached 3,800 compared to 390 in the corresponding period (April 1-10) in 2023.
Visits also catapulted on Chios (from 2,716 to 4,993), Samos (299 to 2,851), Kos (2,400 to 3,300) and Rhodes (2,320 to 5,726). In total, arrivals on those five islands reached 20,690 from 5,969 in 2023, with a similar continuation expected for the other islands, as the visa express application was launched on a pilot basis on those five islands on March 31.
The scheme will be extended from April 30 to five islands and nine ports on Limnos, Leros, Symi, Kalymnos and Kastellorizo.
The increase in visitor numbers since the first weekend of April has been reflected in the islands’ shopping traffic, boosting the local economy and improving the degree of so-called low diplomacy in ties between the two peoples.
Tellingly, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in an interview with ANT1 TV on Thursday, referred to the “excitement on the islands that Turkish visitors can go visa-free.” It is certain that the apparent success of the visa express scheme will also be raised during the prime minister’s visit to Ankara next month.
Regional Governor Kostas Moutzouris reportedly congratulated Minister of Migration and Asylum Dimitris Kairdis, telling him, “We are overrun with tourists on the islands.”
Praising the measure, he said that “each visitor from Turkey leaves the local economy about twice as much as the visitors who come via charter flights.”
In fact, Kairidis is reportedly already under pressure to extend the measure to other islands, with Patmos, Thasos and Samothrace being discussed.
The agreement was struck after a four-month consultation that began last August between Kairidis and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, with the process also involving the Permanent Representation of Greece to the European Union and the Foreign Ministry.
The European Commission approved the granting of a visa express to Turkish citizens for visits to 10 Greek islands and 14 ports in early December, 2023.
It is valid for seven days, costs 60 euros and can be issued outside the tourist season, at any time during the year. Visitors cannot leave Greece and travel to another destination.
