Rhodes Study Explores Tourism Trends, 1 in 3 Have Not Visited Medieval City

The Medieval City. Rhodes Island.

The majority of travelers to Rhodes are first-time visitors who prefer all-inclusive deals for a 10-day period, use the Internet to find info and come primarily for the sea and sun, according to an ongoing survey presented on Monday by the Rhodes Association of Hotel Managers.

The study, which began in July on a sample of 3,000 people, is being carried out by the association in collaboration with the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) with the aim to upgrade and improve the island’s services and infrastructure.

Rhodes. Photo © P Phillips / Shutterstock

More specifically, Germany, Russia and the UK are source markets for Rhodes. Travelers stay on average for 10 days, with 40 percent opting for all-inclusive accommodation and 33 percent for half board.

Beaches and nature play the leading role in their decision to visit the island at 42 percent, followed by history and culture at 26 percent, Internet reviews 26 percent and package price at 19 percent. It must be noted that one in three tourists did not visit the island’s main landmark – the Medieval City, which is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Of those polled, 32 percent chose a deal costing 1,000-1,500 euros, 20 percent spent 750-1,000 euros on their package and 8 percent over 2,000 euros. A total of 33 percent of holidaymakers questioned spent an additional 200-400 euros, 13 percent spent 0-100 euros, 21 percent 100-200 euros and 19 percent spent 400-600 euros. A mere 3 percent of the sample spent more than 1,000 euros during their stay on Rhodes.

Rhodes Island. Photo Source: http://likenoother.aegeanislands.gr

Approximately 35 percent of the respondents said they found information on the Internet, 33 percent from an agency and 29.8 percent from friends and relatives.

Finally, from a total score of 9 in terms of satisfaction, Rhodes hotels scored the highest at 7.9, hotel restaurants 7.63, restaurants outside hotels 7.29, street food 7.29 and excursions 7.3, the Medieval City 7.84 with many of the respondents adding that they did not like the aesthetics of the shops. The lowest scores went to public transport 6.72 and cleanliness 6.74.

Kolymbia, Rhodes. Photo © Mildax / Shutterstock

The majority of respondents said they would recommend Rhodes to friends or acquaintances (8.23 out of 9).

“Our goal is to capitalize on all the findings so that Rhodes can evolve into a quality tourism destination. This will lead to an increase in demand, followed by a rise in sales, revenue and employment. All this will contribute to customer satisfaction, which is what we are aiming for,” said the president of the Rhodes Association of Hotel Managers, Giorgos Matsigos.

The final results of the study are scheduled to be presented in February at a special day event on the island.