ETC: Greece a Top Choice for Long-haul Travelers in May-August 2023

Travelers from Canada, Australia, Brazil, and the US are interested in visiting Greece in the coming months, according to the latest Long-Haul Travel Barometer 2/2023 released this week by the European Travel Commission (ETC) in collaboration with Eurail BV.

Among others, the study examines intention for long-haul travel during the May-August period in six overseas markets, namely Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States. According to the latest survey conducted in April, Greece is in the Top 10 preferred destinations in Europe for vacationers from Canada, Australia, Brazil, and the US.

More specifically, Greece is ranked fifth with 18 percent after the UK, Germany Italy and Spain for the Australians; sixth with 13 percent after Portugal, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany for the Brazilians; fifth with 18 percent after France, Italy, the UK and Spain for the Canadians; and sixth with 12 percent after France, Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain for the Americans planning long-haul trips.

Travel preferences of US respondents. Source: ETC

Overall, the ETC said that interest in overseas travel was increasing ahead of summer while nearly half of those polled wishing to visit Europe are repeat visitors.

Other key takeaways include:

Travel preferences of Brazilian respondents. Source: ETC

–73 percent of surveyed Chinese said they were eager to travel to Europe in the coming months, with nearly a third being repeat visitors

–over half of Brazilians said they planned to travel to Europe, with the positive intention mainly among those under 50 years of age

-in Australia and Canada, over half of those surveyed plan to travel, with Europe being the preferred destination

-the Japanese market continues to show the lowest willingness to travel overseas with 62 percent saying they have no plans to travel long haul.

Greece has repeatedly scored high as a destination of choice among long-haul travelers. In the January-April 2023 report, potential travelers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, US and Japan named Greece as a Top 10 European destination to visit this year for their holidays.

The results of the ETC’s Long-Haul Travel Barometer 2/2023 are based on a robust sample size of 1,000 respondents per market, which is representative of the travel population in the country.