Study: Fires, Floods and Heat Impact Greece’s Online Reputation

The fires that burned for days this summer, the extended heatwaves, and the subsequent floods took a toll on Greece’s online reputation in the July-September period, according to the latest Athens/Greece Sentiment Tracker released by INSETE, the research body of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), in collaboration with TCI Research.

More specifically, Athens’ online reputation (NSI – net sentiment index) tumbled in July. INSETE analysts attribute the decline to the extremely high temperatures and the fires. Athens’ online performance improved in August only to drop again in September following the floods.

Top online discussions about Greece focused on the evacuation of tourists due to fires, the impact of the floods in the Magnesia region, animal welfare and particularly the abuse of mules used on Santorini during the heatwaves, and the death of a horse on Corfu.

Other topics discussed by online users include the effects of overtourism and protests by Athens locals over exorbitant rents due to Airbnb  expansion.

Greece Reputation Tracker, Net Sentiment Index Q3 2023. Source: INSETE

Greece’s overall online reputation dropped compared to rival markets in the Mediterranean such as Portugal, Spain Italy and Croatia with 31 percent of online discussions focusing on the fires in July, dropping to 13 percent in August and to 7 percent in September.

The INSETE study notes: “From a social sentiment perspective, the third quarter of 2023 was difficult for Greece. The NSI remained low throughout the Q3 due to high summer temperatures, widespread wildfires, and floods. However, online conversations about the wildfires have been on a gradual decline.”

Greece’s overall score expected to improve

INSTE analysts expect the country’s overall score to improve in the coming months. On a positive note, discussions focusing on Greek culture,  hospitality, gastronomy, tourism performance and accessibility actions continue to give Greece a good reputation online.

“Despite the overall decline in sentiment, online conversations consistently highlight positive aspects,” INSETE analysts say.

Greece Reputation Tracker, Net Sentiment Index Q3 2023. Source: INSETE

When examining visitor satisfaction, review volume has kept growing, reaching its highest point in August before experiencing a slight decrease in September. Conversely, while the volume increased, overall ratings had been steadily decreasing, seeing a rebound in September.

Greece’s overall ratings, as well as all 14 regions surpass the European average. In Greece overall, the highest rating was given to the Cultural experience, scoring 9.3 points, closely trailed by Food and Beverage and the Sea. “This trend remained consistent in most Greek regions,” says the report.

Moreover, in terms of Sentiment Ratings, the report says it is evident that tourists in Greece highly appreciate the Personnel, and there is generally positive feedback about the Value for Money of experiences. However, there are variations between different regions when it comes to Sustainable Travel and Hygiene, although Greece receives favourable sentiment ratings.

Travellers from the USA and the UK gave the highest overall ratings to Greece, closely trailed by Dutch and German visitors. “However, it’s worth noting that this ranking varies significantly from one region to another,” the report says.