HomeToGo: Accommodation Searches on Paxi Island See 180% Rise

Paxi, Greece.

High season stay searches for accommodation on the small island of Paxi (or Paxos) in the Ionian Sea recorded a 180 percent year-on-year increase on digital travel marketplace HomeToGo.

Considered one of Europe’s biggest online booking platform renting holiday homes and holiday apartments, HomeToGo recently released data on its searches as part of its annual Hidden Islands Index in a bid to reflect holidaymakers need to enjoy a serene escape away from the crowds this summer.

“Island escapes are high up on wishlists for 2023 summer breaks,” HomeToGo said in an announcement.

Announced as “Cultural Village of Europe” in 2004, Paxi belongs to the Ionian island group in Western Greece and lies south of Corfu and north of Lefkada.

Paxi, Greece.

Besides Paxi, destinations such as Mallorca, the Isle of Scilly and the Isle of Wight also saw a three digit year-on-year increase of high season stay searches on HomeToGo. More specifically, Mallorca had a 237 percent increase, the Isle of Scilly a 233 percent and the Isle of Wight a 288 percent.

When it came to the platform’s 2023 Hidden Islands Index, islands from all around the world were examined according to four indicators of hidden gem status: comparatively low traveler demand; standing as a local secret; lack of social media hype; and limited overall awareness.

The Wadden Islands in Netherlands claimed the top spot on the index, followed by Canada’s Quadra and Magdalen Islands, UK’s Isle of Portland and Sicily’s Egadi Islands.

Wadden Islands, Netherlands.

According to legend, the island would today be the southernmost tip of Corfu, if the ancient sea god, Poseidon, had not broken it off with his trident when he needed a god-deserving place to live his love with the Nereid Amphitrite.