Following his historic meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in December last year, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in March that Turkish nationals may now visit ten Greek islands with a fast-track temporary visa. Previously, Turkish tourists had to go through a drawn-out visa application process through the Greek Consulate in Izmir. Thousands have already shown interest in the new fast-track system, which makes entrance easier.
Despite difficult ties between Greece and Turkey, the on-the-spot, seven-day visa makes it easier to visit islands like Kalymnos, Limnos, Leros, Kos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes, Symi, and Kastelorizo, which are all close to the Turkish coast and have historically been popular with Turkish tourists.
The visa initiative has already demonstrated its effectiveness. Data reported by Kathimerini shows that arrivals on five islands reached 20,690, a significant increase from 5,969 during the corresponding period (April 1-10) in 2023.
Breaking down the numbers :
- Lesvos (from 390 in 2023 to 3,800 in 2024)
- Chios (2,716 to 4,993)
- Samos (299 to 2,851)
- Kos (2,400 to 3,300)
- Rhodes (2,320 to 5,726)
The scheme will be extended from April 30 to the remaining five islands and nine ports on Limnos, Leros, Symi, Kalymnos, and Kastellorizo.
Concerning the possibility of adding more islands to the plan, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Giorgos Gerapetritis, said, “I understand that our islands would like to be included in the program and indeed I have been the recipient of many such requests, but there are limits to how far we can extend this program, given its exceptional nature in relation to the law governing the Schengen pact.”
According to Giannis Papavasileiou, President of the Hotel Owners Association, the increase in Turkish tourists would probably make up for the decline in Israeli tourists, which will ultimately help the local economy.