Visitors to Greece are increasingly looking for less-busy destinations and off-the-beaten-track activities, according to research.
Travel data intelligence analyst Mabrian and Greek tourism marketing strategy agency Mindhaus, found that there was a noticeable shift in demand as travellers looked for less crowding, cooler weather and good value.
Islands outside traditional cruise circuits in the northern parts of the Aegean are gaining popularity. Lesbos saw the greatest increase of visitors year-on-year, at 78,8%. It is Greece’s third-largest island and consists of desert-like plains, salt marshes, forested mountains and olive groves.
Chios, also in the North Aegean, saw a year-on-year increase of 65,2%. The islands of Samos, Skopelos and Skiathos are also gaining in popularity.
This is a positive indication for future Greece tourism trends. “Demand to explore places considered less busy or dense in terms of visitation, can contribute to enhance tourism sustainability by distributing tourism benefits throughout the country,” said Carlos Cendra, Director of Marketing and Communications at Mabrian.
Researchers also found that an increasing number of visitors cited active experiences as their main reason for visiting Greece. This was the motivation for 21,1% of surveyed global travellers, an increase of 12,1 percentage points over 2019.
