More direct flights bring Athens closer to China

Greece is getting closer for Chinese holidaymakers as more direct flights bring Athens' ancient wonders within easier reach.

Passenger traffic between China and Athens jumped 42 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year. The Shanghai-Athens route had carried around 68,000 passengers by early August.

Juneyao Airlines increased its Shanghai service to daily flights from September 25, while Air China continues to connect Beijing directly with the Greek capital.

For travelers, the difference is clear: fewer connections, easier journeys and more time to enjoy their holiday.

"In 2024, the first time coming here, I had to take a flight to Istanbul and then transfer to here. Now it's a direct flight," one Chinese visitor said.

Another traveler has returned repeatedly, drawn by more than Greece's famous landmarks.

"This isn't my first time here – I think this is probably my sixth or seventh visit in the past two years," he said. "The weather is great, and the people are very nice too."

For many arrivals, Athens is the first stop before travelling onwards to the islands. But in the capital, history remains a powerful attraction.

Tour guide Paris Kaponis says the relationship between two ancient civilizations gives Chinese visitors a connection with Greece.

"Tourism can become more than simply tourism. It can also become an exchange of culture and ideas," he said.

From the Acropolis to the streets of Plaka, that exchange unfolds through monuments, conversations and shared experiences.

Yet visitors' spending habits are changing. According to local guides, Chinese tourists are becoming more cautious with their budgets, spending less on shopping and choosing food, sightseeing and experiences instead.

For Greece's tourism businesses, attracting visitors means understanding what they want from their trip.

Athens International Airport sees China as an increasingly significant market.

"The Chinese market is very important to us. It's one of our top 20 markets," said Ioanna Papadopoulou, the airport's director of communications and marketing.

She said both weekly flight frequencies and passenger numbers had increased, with Athens' history and culture helping drive demand.

The expanding air links give travelers more opportunities to discover Greece, while opening doors for tourism businesses hoping to welcome them.

And as more passengers step off planes from Shanghai and Beijing, the connection is becoming more than a route on a flight map.

It is another bridge between two ancient civilizations – with a holiday at its heart.