ForwardKeys: Athens in Top 10 Most Searched Summer 2024 Travel Destinations

Photo source: Athens Development and Destination Management Agency

Summer demand for Europe appears to be picking up pace with London being the most searched for destination and Athens ranking 6^th in terms of flight searches, according to travel intelligence provider ForwardKeys.

According to the company’s summer outlook for 2024, flight searches for Athens marked a minor decline by 0.1 percent in the period under review.

More specifically, the Top 3 cities based on flight searches for travel in July and August were London accounting for a 5 percent share of total searches, followed by Paris (4 percent) and Barcelona (3 percent).

Completing the Top 10 are Istanbul (3 percent), Rome (3 percent), Athens with a 2 percent share of total searches, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, and Palma de Mallorca.

Demand for Athens, Lisbon, Madrid, and Palma de Mallorca dropped slightly in the period under review.

Meanwhile, destinations increasing in popularity include Tenerife, Izmir, and Reykjavik followed by Munich, Funchal, Tbilisi, Malta, Tirana, Nice, and Yerevan.

Demand for summer travel in Europe fully recovers to pre-pandemic levels

ForwardKeys’ summer outlook for 2024 shows a robust recovery in demand for summer travel across Europe.

According to the travel intelligence provider, the positive trend signifies a full return to pre-pandemic travel levels, with notable shifts in traveller preferences. Analysts notice that traveler interest appears to be shifting to destinations with cooler summer temperatures.

Additionally, based on forward ticketing data for travel to European city destinations in July and August 2024, holidaymakers are showing more interest in nature (+19 percent) and urban (+14 percent) destinations over traditional sun and beach destinations (+8 percent) as seen in year-on-year growth in international arrivals to Central/Eastern Europe (+25 percent), Western Europe (+15 percent), and Northern Europe (+13 percent) which exceed destinations in Southern Europe (+11 percent).

“Overall, the picture is positive for destinations worldwide looking to attract lucrative European tourism over the coming years,” ForwardKeys Director of Intelligence and Marketing Olivier Ponti.

“With the disruption to demand and bookings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic now firmly in the past, the 2024 summer season looks likely to set a new benchmark for European travel both within the region and beyond.”