Despite the high cost of tickets, travel agents in the Australian community are reporting a 10 to 20 percent increase in travel bookings from Australia to Greece this year. This surge in travel is primarily attributed to Greek Australians visiting their ancestral homeland. Greece has emerged as the sixth most popular destination for Australian tourists, with 18 percent of them choosing to travel there.
Travel agents’ estimates align with other data, indicating that Greece is set to regain its position as a leading summer destination in Europe and potentially break the record set in 2019. While traditional powerhouses like Germany, the United Kingdom, and France remain strong, the Greek tourism industry is seeking additional support to reclaim its coveted record, which was briefly lost last year. Early indicators show positive outlooks from the United Kingdom and the United States, but concerns exist regarding the traditional German clientele.
Preliminary data suggests a decline in travelers from Germany, attributed to increased cost of living and reduced disposable income for discretionary travel. Studies and research reveal that Greece is highly favored by tourists from countries outside of Europe. Beyond the ongoing trend of travelers from the United States, there is considerable interest from countries such as Canada, Australia, and Brazil, with citizens viewing Greece as a desirable travel destination.
According to the European Travel Commission’s Long-Haul Travel Barometer, Greece ranks among the top ten vacation choices for the coming months in four major distant markets with high tourist expenditure and longer stays. American, Canadian, Australian, and Brazilian travelers are expressing their preference for Greece.
Data for the first quarter of 2023 already indicates a significant increase in arrivals and revenue compared to the previous year. The most popular destinations for American tourists in Greece are Attica, the South Aegean, and the Peloponnese.
Furthermore, Greece ranks sixth among Australian tourists’ preferred destinations this year, following France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The Australian market share for Greek tourism has seen fluctuations, with a 0.1 percent share in 2021, compared to 0.7 percent in 2016 and 1.1 percent in 2019, according to a study by INSETE. In 2021, Attica was the most popular destination for Australian tourists in Greece.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in overnight stays from 2016 to 2019, reaching 4.6 million, but this number decreased by 95.2 percent to 220,000 in 2021 due to the pandemic’s impact.
