Greece in Top 10 Destinations for Long-haul Travel by December

Greece is among the leading destinations of choice for potential long-haul vacationers in six overseas markets who are planning to travel in the coming three months, said a survey released this week by the European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail BV.

According to the latest “Long-Haul Travel Barometer 3/2022 (LHTB)” on intention to travel to Europe between September and December 2022, travelers from six markets want to visit Greece and have included the country in their Top 10 choices.

Thessaloniki. Photo source: GNTO / H. Kakarouhas

More specifically, Greece is ranked 7^th (out of 10) by travelers from Australia, 6^th from Brazil, 5^th from Canada, 6^th from China, 6^th from the US and 4^th from Russia.  It should be noted that travelers from Japan did not include Greece on their wish lists, according to the ETC- Eurail BV report.

Only 22 percent of travelers from Japan are thinking of taking a long-haul trip in the coming months, 13 percent of which have Europe in mind.

Source: ETC

Meanwhile, according to the report, though appetite for overseas trips is recovering in key markets, desire to visit Europe has stagnated in key markets, showing only marginal improvements.

Source: ETC

Indicatively, travel sentiment to Europe remains weak among Americans (94p), with 41 percent saying they will feel more confident traveling to European destinations when their economic situation improves. Of those who are planning a trip to Europe, over half (56 percent) want to visit multiple countries, with France, Italy, the UK and Germany at the top of their bucket list.

Top priorities for American tourists when choosing a destination: high-quality tourism infrastructure (35 percent), security (33 percent), prices (31 percent), and crowdedness (23 percent).

Source: ETC

Sixty percent of Canadians, meanwhile, said they want to visit Europe and to explore cultural and historical heritage.

Travel sentiment is also positive among Brazilians (103p), with over half (55 percent) of respondents eager to visit European destinations in the next months. ETC analysts expect interest in the region to continue to grow, in part because of improved air connectivity between Brazil and European cities.

Lastly, according to report, the energy crisis and inflation are the reasons 24 percent said they would not travel long-haul in the coming months with Brazilians (55 percent), Canadians (31 percent) and Americans (30 percent) being most sensitive about money matters.

The report adds that Covid-related concerns are also putting many off travel with 19 percent of those polled stating it as a reason not to travel overseas, particularly those in Asia.

 “It is positive to see a continued improvement in long-haul travel sentiment. Nonetheless, this latest Long-Haul Travel Barometer reflects the negative impacts that the increased cost of living is having on people’s ability to travel internationally. It is likely that personal finances will significantly alter people’s travel choices in the coming months,” said ETC President Luís Araújo.

According to last year’s barometer, travelers from Canada, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States cited Greece among their choices.