The third quarter of the previous year highlighted the Mediterranean’s dominant position across major short-term rental platforms.
Data from Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia revealed a remarkable increase in short-term rentals across Mediterranean countries, such as Spain and Southern France, as well as further north in Croatia. Naturally, Greece is also among the countries experiencing this significant growth.
Top European destinations
Croatia secured the highest position in the ranking of popular European destinations, specifically its Adriatic coast, recording 27.7 million overnight stays.
Andalusia took second place with 19.5 million overnight stays, whilst the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur ranked third for the third quarter of 2025, with 16.9 million overnight stays.
In the list of the top twenty European destinations, France features six regions, Spain five, Italy four, and Greece three.
The most popular regions in Greece
The wider Ionian region claimed the top spot domestically, with 5.9 million overnight stays.
The South Aegean followed closely in second place with 5.88 million overnight stays, whilst Crete ranked third with 5.26 million.
What is happening across the rest of the country
The fact that the top destinations are concentrated in specific areas does not mean the rest of the country is lagging behind.
On the contrary, Central Macedonia recorded 3.74 million overnight stays, whilst the capital registered 3.7 million. The Peloponnese saw 1.32 million overnight stays, Eastern Macedonia 1.3 million, and Thessaly 950,000.
2025 compared to 2024
Throughout 2025, a total of 951.6 million overnight stays were recorded across the three major short-term rental platforms, representing an 11.4% increase compared to 2024.
The fourth quarter of 2025 also showed an upward trend of 10.9% against the corresponding quarter of 2024, reaching 172.3 million overnight stays.
This picture confirms that the demand for short-term rentals remains robust and is concentrated in mature tourist destinations, with the Mediterranean maintaining a clear lead at a European level.
The data proves that short-term letting is no longer just a trend, but a mature and constantly evolving sector in which Greece continues to play a leading role.
