German Travelers Shy Away from Greece, Bookings Drop by 1.2%

German vacationers are having second thoughts about traveling to Greece as a 1.2 percent drop in bookings reveals, opting instead for Spain and Turkey.

Package deal bookings by German tourists dropped by 1.2 percent in the first quarter of 2015 with tourism insiders citing political instability and the negative press coverage of Greece’s debt negotiations in the German media.

According to data of market research institute GfK, released by GfK Hellas, the drop was more marked during Greece’s negotiation process with its international lenders between February and April this year.

Spain’s Canary Isles and Balearic Islands, meanwhile, are winning over German tourists, as is neighbouring Turkey, reporting however a much smaller increase compared to other neighboring destinations such as Cyprus and Croatia. Egypt also appears to be recovering after two years of continuous decline.

Still popular among German travelers who choose Greece are the Dodecanese islands and Crete in the summer, and Athens and Thessaloniki in winter. Families of three or more, 30- to 60-somethings and higher income travelers make up the profile of the Germans visiting Greece. Sea and sun and related activities are still leading reasons to visit Greece, as is cultural heritage, nature and gastronomy.