Greece is one of the most popular destinations for Europe's major outbound tourism markets, despite the country's competitive disadvantage that most Europeans say at this time that they prefer shorter trips of up to three hours.
This is the main conclusion of a new study by the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises entitled "The profile of important markets of Greek tourism," which examines, for the first time so early in the tourist season, the intention of Europeans to travel in the coming months, planned expenditure, the duration and type of stay, and other important parameters of travel behaviour. The markets surveyed are those of Germany, the UK, France, and Spain, and it appears that this year, holiday planning abroad appears to be starting early, with around 70% of Germans, Britons, and Spaniards and 60% of French people planning to travel in the next 12 months.
In terms of the countries Europeans are thinking about visiting in the next 12 months, Greece ranks 5th for the German, French, and UK markets and 7th for the Spanish market. However, the difference between Greece and the countries one or two places ahead is very small (of 1 percentage point or less), and these countries are either much larger (e.g., France or the UK) or much more easily accessible even by road (e.g., Austria than Germany).
TRAVEL TIME
Regarding the duration of the trip from the place of residence to the holiday destination, the preference is by far for shorter-distance trips with a duration of less than 3 hours. Nearly 8 out of 10 Germans, 34% of the French and British, and 78% of the Spanish prefer trips that last less than 3 hours. The fact that Greece is further away geographically is a comparative disadvantage, but this does not mean that it is not ultimately a popular destination for the major markets and this is where the destination's strong brand can be seen.
Of particular interest are the study's findings in relation to planned expenditure, reflecting the higher prioritisation of travel to Europe in the post-pandemic period despite the pressures on incomes due to inflationary pressures. In all four countries, the proportion of those intending to spend more is higher than that of those intending to spend less by 10 to 20 percentage points. In particular, the most dominant response by far in the markets studied is that the travelling public intends to spend as much as they usually do this year, followed in second place by those who are willing to spend more. 50% of Germans, 47% of French, 51% of UK residents, 47% of UK residents and 50% of UK residents intend to spend as much as they usually do. 44% of Spaniards, while 31% of Germans, 29% of French, 29% of UK residents, 29% of UK residents and 44% of UK residents intend to spend more than usual. 29% of the French, 29% of the UK and 36% of the Spanish.
In terms of the motivation of those intending to holiday abroad in the next 12 months, for those who have started planning their holidays, enjoyment and relaxation are preferred by 56% of Germans, 55% of French, 71% of UK residents and 58% of Spaniards. For 51% of Germans, 56% of French, 50% of UK citizens, and 55% of Spaniards, this is the next step after experiencing a new place or culture. The British (51%) and Germans (45%) place particular importance on the weather, while the percentage of Germans (41%) who seek new/exciting activities is also very high.
In terms of the type of holiday abroad in the next 12 months, or the type of holiday more broadly preferred by the markets studied, trips to seaside destinations (beach or coast), City Break, trips to nature, visiting attractions, relatives and friends, and trips for walking or hiking stand out. In particular, 51% of Germans, 31% of French, 40% of the UK, and 24% of Spaniards prefer trips to the sea. City Break is preferred by 41% of Germans, 31% of French, 38% of UK, 31% of French, 38% of UK., and 29% of Spaniards. Germans show a strong interest in both nature holidays (40%) and walking/hiking (29%).
