Greek Orthodox Easter – The Epitaphios, a flower-adorned bier symbolizing the tomb of Christ, carried in solemn procession on Good Friday. Photo: shutterstock
The short-term rental market in Greece is continuing its upward path, with bookings for Easter showing a marked increase. As Orthodox and Catholic Easter both fall on April 20 this year, demand for Airbnb-type accommodations has already surpassed last year’s levels for Holy Week.
According to data from analytics firm AirDNA, bookings for Greek Easter have risen by 25 percent compared to the same period in 2024. Last Easter week, there were approximately 404,000 bookings, while this year that number has already climbed to 502,000.
Strong performance is also being recorded for the weeks immediately before and after Easter. As of March 4, reservations for the week prior to Easter reached 373,000, up from 295,000 last year. For the week following Easter, bookings increased from 363,000 to 416,000.
Overall, demand in February rose by 20 percent year-on-year, outpacing a seven percent increase in supply. This led to a one percentage point improvement in occupancy, which reached 46 percent.
Athens, Thessaloniki, and Crete remain Greece’s leading destinations for short-term rentals, each experiencing double-digit growth in February. Bookings in Athens increased by 21 percent, Thessaloniki followed with a 19 percent rise, and Crete recorded a 16 percent gain.
While the overall volume of bookings is lower in smaller destinations, some areas saw impressive growth. Mykonos recorded the largest increase at 53 percent, followed by Kalamata with a 50 percent rise.
Greece among Europe’s top performers
Greece continues to stand out in the European short-term rental market. According to AirDNA, bookings for future overnight stays across Europe rose by 18 percent in February compared to the previous year. Greece was among the top five countries out of 20 surveyed, which included Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Poland led the rankings with a 28 percent year-on-year increase in bookings, followed by Norway at 23 percent, the Czech Republic at 20 percent, and both Greece and Spain tied at 18 percent.
By contrast, Denmark and the United Kingdom recorded the slowest growth rates, with increases of just two and four percent respectively.
February booking trends
February proved to be another strong month for the European short-term rental market, with bookings for current and future stays reaching 41.3 million nights. This represented a 13.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Greece continued its strong performance, placing fifth among European countries with a 20 percent year-on-year increase in overnight stays. Norway, Poland, Finland, and the Czech Republic led the group with even higher growth rates.
Occupancy rates rose significantly in four countries, supported by high demand and a slower pace of new listings. In contrast, countries such as Austria, Germany, and Croatia recorded either modest growth or slight declines in overnight stays.
Easter drives exceptional demand
Easter is playing a major role in boosting February’s booking figures, with many travelers choosing to extend their stays beyond the holiday week. This trend is reflected in increased demand for stays up to two weeks after Easter.
As of early March, several cities have already exceeded 60 percnt occupancy based on advance bookings.
According to AirDNA, with one month until Easter, these cities are set to be highly popular, with ADRs among the highest in Europe.
The most popular destinations for spring are Amsterdam, Seville, Florence, Lisbon and Paris. On the other hand, while most of the popular destinations have witnessed a strong momentum during Easter week, a few exceptions remain, offering good options for last-minute deals.
For those traveling exclusively during Easter week, Munich and Cologne, Germany have lower occupancy and ADR compared to adjacent weeks.
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