Rhodes Sees Major Increase in Turkish Visitors as Visa-on-Arrival Scheme Expands

Rhodes has experienced a sharp rise in Turkish tourist arrivals, with over 72,000 crossings recorded between Türkiye and the island in the first four months of 2025. The surge is largely attributed to Greece’s fast-track visa-on-arrival program, allowing Turkish nationals to make short-term visits ranging from one to seven days.

Ferries Drive Traffic Between Marmaris and Rhodes

Local authorities reported that approximately 60,000 of the 72,000 crossings were made via ferry services operating between Marmaris and Rhodes, underscoring the ease of access and growing popularity of short-stay tourism.

According to Türkiye Today, Turkish tourists visiting Rhodes are especially drawn to popular attractions including:

• Old Town (Eski Sehir)
• Hippocrates Square
• Lindos Acropolis
• Butterfly Valley
• Mandraki Harbour

Visa-on-Arrival Program Extended to 2026

Greece launched the visa-on-arrival scheme for Turkish citizens on April 1, 2024, following a bilateral agreement between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The program was implemented with approval from the European Commission and other EU member states.

Greek Consul General in Istanbul, Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, emphasized the importance of this initiative, calling it “almost 100 per cent successful” and stating:

“We applied again to reimplement it this year because the results were overwhelmingly positive.”

Due to its success, the European Commission extended the program through April 2026, and expanded it to cover a total of 12 Greek islands, including:

• Rhodes
• Kos
• Lesbos
• Samos
• Chios
• Leros
• Lemnos
• Kalymnos
• Kastellorizo
• Symi
• Patmos
• Samothrace

Over 110,000 Turkish Nationals Used the Scheme in 2024

According to Ambassador Koutras, over 110,000 Turkish nationals used the visa-on-arrival program to visit Greece in 2024. In total, more than 1.3 million Turkish citizens visited Greece that year, while over 600,000 Greeks traveled to Türkiye, reflecting strong cross-border tourism exchange.

Statistics from the General Police Directorate of the North Aegean revealed that 54,373 visas were issued across just three North Aegean islands by the end of August 2024, highlighting the program’s scale and reach.

Economic Impact and Local Debate

The visa-on-arrival program has provided a significant boost to the Greek tourism sector and economy. However, some local media in Türkiye have raised concerns, stating that the country may be "enriching Greece" or unintentionally benefiting a tourism competitor by as much as 10 per cent.

Despite differing perspectives, the data affirms the program’s effectiveness in promoting tourism and fostering closer regional ties.