The summer scoreboard is in: between July 1 and August 10, Attica’s three main ports “heroically” shipped 1,554,287 passengers off to the islands. The Ministry says that it is a 3.99% rise over last year — a number so modest it could double as the tip on a bad taverna bill. And yes, before you picture a nation emptying itself onto the Aegean, remember this surge is mostly Saronic Gulf day-trippers chasing quick escapes and cheaper tickets. The Cyclades saw a polite +2.25% bump, while Lavrio and Rafina each added about 3,000 passengers — barely enough to notice unless you are counting boarding passes for a living.
According to the XRTC study, using Greek Statistics Authority data, 2024’s passenger traffic rose a respectable-sounding 4%, but that is down from 7% the year before. Vehicle traffic? A tepid +3%, which is the transport equivalent of a shrug. As always, July to September are the “golden months” — the time when ferries overflow, the ports are a symphony of horns and diesel fumes, and everyone pretends this happens all year. Then November arrives, and passenger numbers fall faster than an overpriced cappuccino on the ferry deck. Freight, of course, keeps going — the unglamorous hero hauling 9 million tonnes of goods, 82% of the islands’ lifeline, without a single Instagram post to show for it.
The Greek ferry network links around 120 inhabited islands to the mainland, 89 of them exclusively by sea. That lifeline depends on 153 ships owned by 33 companies — and the average vessel is almost 30 years old. Only 17% of the fleet is under 20 years. Translation: if these ships were people, most would be eyeing early retirement and a seaside flat in Piraeus. The fleet’s looming midlife crisis comes with an EU rulebook: “green” ships, cleaner fuels, emission allowances, cost cuts — the kind of expensive shopping list that makes CEOs stare very hard at the floor during board meetings.
Still, for now, the cabins are complete, the ledgers look decent, and the press releases call it a success. But unless replacements start soon, those golden months could turn into a rust festival. And no, that is not an official cultural event… yet.
