A survey by the Royal Spanish Institute of Elcano and the Turespan Institute of Tourism showed that Greece is the country that Europeans are most likely to visit. In contrast, for people from outside Europe, Greece is the fifth most popular destination.

According to the survey, Italy ranks second in popularity among the population of Europe, and Spain ranks third. In contrast, for people from outside Europe, Greece is only ahead of Spain, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.

When it comes to the largest number of tourists visiting the country, Greece ranks seventh in the world – after Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and the United States. In the case of tourists from Europe, it ranks sixth, and for tourists from outside Europe – it ranks tenth.

The survey was conducted in September 2020 in 29 countries with a sample of 17,300 people. It also showed that people with higher education and permanent employment travel a lot. The tourists are mostly between 31 and 40 years old. In the 57-65 age group, people prefer long trips that focus on the cultural aspects of a specific country. The report indicated that women prefer entertainment based on learning about culture and benefiting from health services, while men focus on sports activities.

The Greek Tourism Federation said a Spanish study confirms that tourism has strategic importance for the Greek economy. According to this organization, Europeans travel to Greece mainly for leisure, including swimming in the sea and sunbathing on the beach, exploring cities, trying local food and shopping.

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Moreover, travelers are looking for a “multi-dimensional product / experience”, even if their trip is primarily about relaxing on the beach. Analysts noted that tourism development, especially food tourism, has great development potential for small towns on mainland Greece.

In contrast, tourists from outside Europe, especially Asians, are interested in communicating with nature and visiting ancient Greek attractions.