Athens Keeps Guests Satisfied with Culture, Locals and Hotels, Says GBR

Athens, Greece. Photo: GTP

Athens remains among Europe’s top tourism destinations with the guest satisfaction index reaching a score of 8.1/10 in 2019, from 7.9/10 in 2018, according to a survey released on Tuesday by GBR Consulting.

According to the survey’s findings, the majority of travelers appear satisfied with the city’s culture, locals, gastronomy, entertainment options, hotel infrastructure, shops and cafes/bars.

The overall tourism experience was further enhanced by the “hop on hop off” tourist buses, and other types of tours offered in the city.

Furthermore, most visitors said they would visit Athens again and felt satisfied by the destination’s price / quality ratio. They also consider Athens a safe city.

GBR conducted the survey between July and September 2019, among 1,500 visitors staying in hotels in Athens.

The Acropolis in Athens. Photo Source: discovergreece.com/

Acropolis receives record number of visitors

As underlined by GBR, the Acropolis remains a “must see” site in Athens, with the number of travelers exceeding 3 million for the first time in 2018.

The Acropolis Museum received almost 1.8 million visitors.

Meanwhile, around 80 percent of visitors believes that Athens has much more to offer. Therefore, 87 percent said they would return, while 96 percent would recommend the Greek capital to other travelers.

The survey also showed that only 61 percent of travelers are familiar or have visited the Saronic islands of Egina, Hydra and Poros, while only 21 percent know or have traveled to the nearby islands of Agistri, Spetses, Kythira, Salamina and Antikythira.

Moreover, only 24 percent from 31 percent in 2018 knew about the “Athens Marathon. The Authentic”, a leading sports event that takes place annually in the Greek capital.

Photo Source: @Athens Marathon. The Authentic

According to the GBR survey, during 2012-2018, arrivals at Athens International Airport significantly increased from 2.5 million to 5.7 million.

The majority of visitors – 87 percent – traveled to Athens for leisure, with 31 percent heading to other destinations in Greece.

The US is Athens’ main source of leisure travelers with their number increasing by 13 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, followed by Germany, the UK, France and Italy.

US travelers were also the highest spenders with 135 euros/person/day.

Monastiraki square, Athens

Athens’ guests ask for a cleaner, greener city

Although guest satisfaction is high, Athens scores low in cleanliness with 5.6/10.

Visitors also call for more green spaces in the city, the preservation of squares and sidewalks, and the reduction of noise and air pollution.

In addition, tourists wish to communicate more with the locals and experience their way of life. However, the data show that Athens’ residents are gradually leaving the city center for other areas in the Greek capital.

The GBR Consulting survey was presented during the 49th General Assembly of the Athens-Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association.