Poll: Greece Among Top 10 European Destinations for Source Markets

Greece is in the top 10 European destinations of choice for travelers coming from key source markets, according to the latest study released this week by INSETE, the research department of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE).

More specifically, according to the “Trends and Preferences for International Travel Among Greek Markets in Europe and the US” conducted by Censuswide on behalf of INSETE, Greece is the second-favorite destination in the Italian market, third in the UK, Germany, and France, and fifth in the Austrian market.

The survey was carried out on 7,100 people aged over 17 in the last two weeks of September from eight of Greece’s key source markets for incoming tourism, namely Germany, UK, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the US, and focuses on city break travel and sea & sun holidays.

Key takeaways according to INSETE:

– sea & sun is still the main reason for travel followed by city break holidays

– final cost is a key factor affecting decision to travel as well as safety in Covid times

– travelers opt to book three to seven overnight stays with those from France, Germany and the Netherlands preferring holidays that last for at least 10 days

– German, French, Italian, Austrian, Swiss and Dutch travelers are looking to travel in the summer months in 2022, while British and American tourists  want to travel until March

– top accommodation choices for the majority of markets – with the exception of the US and UK – are 4- or 5-star hotels. In the case of city break visits, short-term rentals are a preferred choice

Athens, Acropolis Museum Cafe. Photo source: Visit Greece/ H Kakarouhas

– besides sea & sun, travelers are interested in parallel activities including cultural happenings and city visits

– tourists from the UK, France and the US plan to visit a city in the next six months to February, while the majority of Germans, Italians, Austrians, Swiss and Dutch choose to visit from March onwards

– travelers opting to visit cities are also seeking a mix of experiences including shopping, dining, day excursions and sports.