- Chinese tourists are booking Greek getaways in bigger numbers than ever.
- Direct flights between China and Greece are multiplying, making trips easier.
- Regional deals and buddy agreements seal new travel bonds.
- Greek officials are working overtime to speed up visas for Chinese visitors.
- Chinese arrivals to Athens soared 30% in 2024 alone.
- Airlines now run 12 China-Greece flights weekly, up from just 3 in 2019.
Some countries worry about slow tourist summers. Greece? Not lately. Thanks to a wild mix of deal-making, new airlines, and the endless Chinese appetite for temples, Greece is suddenly top of the list for Chinese tourists.
By 2025, thanks to more air routes and creative government back-patting, expect beaches full of Mandarin chatter and selfie sticks pointed at everything from Athens marble to Mykonos donkeys. Airlines like Sichuan and Juneyao crank out schedules like there’s a secret bet to see who can pack more people into Santorini’s caldera. Between Athens’s staggering ruins and B-list islands getting their moment, the floodgates are open.
Flights, Visas, and the Endless Greek Welcome Parade
Things started moving when Sichuan Airlines announced its shiny new flight from Chengdu to Athens, pausing briefly in Istanbul (because who can resist Turkish delight?). Now around 90 million people in that Chinese province alone have a direct highway to the Parthenon. Here’s where it gets more entertaining: the Greek embassy got a new visa center in Chengdu. Now, instead of drowning in paper, would-be tourists fill out a few forms and book their selfie tour.
To lock in the bromance, Attica (the home of Athens) slapped a friendship agreement on Sichuan. The politicians grinned for the cameras, trade officials nodded, and everyone pretended this was about art and not just about filling hotel rooms.
Not to be left out, Juneyao Airlines now runs four direct flights from Shanghai to Athens every week, flying Boeing 787-9s so new they still have that “just assembled” smell. Air China didn’t want to miss out either; from July, it goes from four to five Beijing-Athens flights weekly.
Let’s Talk Numbers
For those who like to keep score: back in 2019, the number of weekly direct flights was three. By summer 2025, it hits twelve. In just 2024, Athens had 30% more Chinese arrivals compared to the year before. The message is clear: Greece isn’t just selling sun and ruins. It’s folding dumplings into its tourist figures, one direct flight at a time.
Is this the moment Greek hotel owners stop worrying and learn to love the yuan? Probably not. But Athens’ taxi drivers better start brushing up on their Mandarin, or at least learning to mime “Acropolis this way.”
