British holidaymakers appear to be shifting some summer bookings away from mainland Spain after Greece dropped biometric border checks for UK visitors, according to new travel industry figures.
Greece has reportedly overtaken mainland Spain in new summer bookings made through members of The Advantage Travel Partnership, which represents more than 700 travel agencies. The change follows a decision by the Greek government in mid-April to suspend elements of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System, despite instructions from the European Commission.
The system, known as EES, requires non-EU travellers, including Britons, to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images when entering the Schengen area. Travel industry leaders have warned that the scheme could cause delays at airports and border points during peak holiday periods.
Figures show mainland Spain’s share of bookings fell from 8.7% to 7% during the final two weeks of April. Over the same period, Greece rose from 7.7% to 9.8%, with islands such as Corfu and Rhodes seeing strong demand.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage, said travellers were increasingly considering the risk of border disruption when choosing destinations. She said many were opting for places where the arrival process was expected to be “smoother and more predictable”.
Lo Bue-Said said the figures reinforced concerns that the current rollout of EES could undermine confidence at a key time for summer bookings. She welcomed Greece’s decision as pragmatic but called for a wider, coordinated pause across the EU to allow authorities to resolve operational issues.
Although Greece’s move has no formal legal basis under EU rules, Brussels has not yet taken action against Athens. The European Commission maintains that the rollout is progressing well in most locations.
Despite the recent shift, Spain remains ahead overall once bookings to the Canary and Balearic Islands are included.
