Greece is one of the most popular destinations for major outbound markets tourism of Europe and, indeed, despite the country’s competitive disadvantage, most Europeans at this stage say they prefer shorter journeys, up to three hours.
This is the main conclusion of the new study by the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Businesses entitled “The profile of important Greek tourism markets” which examines, for the first time this early in the tourist season, the intention of Europeans to travel in the coming months, planned spending, length and type of stay and other important parameters of travel behavior.
The markets considered are those of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Spain and as it turns out this year, planning a vacation abroad seems to start early with around 70% of Germans, British and Spanish and 60% of French having started. plan a trip in the next 12 months.
Regarding the countries that Europeans plan to visit in the next 12 months, Greece ranks 5th for the markets of Germany, France and the United Kingdom and 7th for the Spanish market. However, the gap between Greece and the countries leading one or two places is very small (on the order of 1 percentage point or less) and these countries are either much larger (France, United Kingdom) , or much more easily accessible even by road. (e.g. Austria from Germany).
Travel time
Concerning the duration of the journey from the place of residence to the vacation spot, the preference is for much shorter journeys, lasting less than 3 hours. A journey of less than 3 hours is preferred by almost 8 out of 10 Germans, 3/4 of the French and British and 78% of Spaniards. The fact that Greece is geographically further away constitutes a comparative disadvantage, but that does not mean that it is not ultimately a popular destination for larger markets, and this is where we can see the strong destination mark.
Planned spending
The study’s findings regarding planned spending are particularly interesting, reflecting the higher priority given to travel to Europe in the post-pandemic period despite pressures on incomes due to inflationary pressures. Across all four countries, the percentage of those who intend to spend more is 10 to 20 percentage points higher than that of those who intend to spend less. In particular, the most common response across the markets surveyed is that travelers intend to spend what they usually spend this year, followed by those who are willing to spend more. They plan to spend what they usually spend, 50% of Germans, 47% of French, 51% of British residents and 44% of Spaniards, while more than usual plan to spend 31% of Germans, 29% French, 29% of British residents and 36% of Spaniards.
Motivations and type of vacation abroad
In terms of motivation for those who plan to go on vacation abroad in the next 12 months, for those who have started to organize their vacation, fun and relaxation are preferred by 56% of Germans, 55% of French people. , 71% of British residents and 58% of Spaniards. This is followed by experiencing a new place or culture for 51% of Germans, 56% of French, 50% of UK residents and 55% of Spaniards. Brits (51%) and Germans (45%) attach particular importance to the weather, while the percentage of Germans (41%) looking for new/exciting activities is also very high.
Regarding the type of vacation abroad in the next 12 months, or the type of vacation more widely preferred by the markets studied, we distinguish: trips to coastal destinations (beach/coast), city breaks, outings nature, tourist visits, loved ones. and friends and trips to walk or hike. Sea trips are particularly preferred by 51% of Germans, 31% of French, 40% of British and 24% of Spaniards. City Break is preferred by 41% of Germans, 31% of French, 38% of British and 29% of Spanish. Germans also show great interest in nature holidays (40%) and walking/hiking (29%).