Greece is one of the most popular destinations for large export markets tourism in Europe and in fact, despite the country’s competitive disadvantage most Europeans say this time 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 the important tourism markets in Greece» where, for the first time very early in the tourist season, the intention of Europeans to travel in the coming months, the planned expenses, the duration and type of stay and other important behavioral parameters to travel checked. The markets considered are those of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Spain and as it turns out this year, holiday planning abroad seems to have started early with almost 70% of Germans, Brits and Spaniards and 60 % of French people who started. planning for travel in the next 12 months.
Regarding the countries that Europeans are considering visiting in the next 12 months, Greece is in 5th place for the markets of Germany, France and the United Kingdom and 7th for the market of Spain. However, the difference between Greece and the countries leading in one or two areas is very small (in the order of 1 percentage point or less) and these countries are larger (such as France or United Kingdom) or more accessible though. by road (eg Austria from Germany).
Duration of the trip
Regarding the duration of the journey from the residence to the holiday destination, the preference is for shorter trips, with a duration of less than 3 hours. A journey of less than 3 hours is preferred by almost 8 out of 10 Germans, ¾ of the French and British and 78% of the Spanish. The fact that Greece is geographically distant is a comparative disadvantage, but this does not mean that it is not ultimately a popular destination for large markets, and this is where the strong brand of the destination can be seen.
Projected costs
Of particular interest are the conclusions of the study related to planned spending, which shows a higher priority for travel to Europe in the post-pandemic period despite the pressures on income due to inflationary pressure. In all four countries the percentage of those who intend to spend more is greater than those who intend to spend less by 10 to 20 percentage points. In particular, the most dominant answer in the markets studied is that the traveling public intends to spend this year what they usually spend, followed by those who are willing to spend more. They plan to spend what they usually spend, 50% of the Germans, 47% of the French, 51% of UK residents and 44% of the Spanish, while more than the average plan to spend 31% of the Germans, 29% of French, 29% of UK residents and 36% of Spanish.
Motivation and type of holiday abroad
In terms of motivation for those who intend to go on holiday abroad in the next 12 months, for those who start organizing their holiday, in the first place is pleasure and relaxation preferred by 56% of Germans , 55% of the French. , 71% of UK residents and 58% of Spaniards. This was followed by experiencing a new place or culture for 51% of Germans, 56% of French, 50% of UK residents and 55% of Spaniards. The British (51%) and Germans (45%) give particular importance to the weather, while the percentage of Germans (41%) looking for new/interesting activities is also very high.
Regarding the type of holiday abroad in the next 12 months, or the type of holiday more widely preferred in the markets studied, the following can be seen: trips to coastal destinations (Beach/Coast ), City Break, nature trips, sightseeing, relatives and friends and trips for walking or hiking. In particular, sea trips are preferred by 51% of the Germans, 31% of the French, 40% of the United Kingdom and 24% of the Spanish. City Break is preferred by 41% of Germans, 31% of French, 38% of UK and 29% of Spanish. Germans show great interest in Nature holidays (40%) and Walking / Hiking (29%).