Tourists from the US, the UK and France appear to prefer the warmer months but shy from August for visiting Greece this year. The finding reflects a trend towards a longer season among nationalities that have always been among the markets with the highest per capita spending to Greece, according to a major survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Visa.
Although the peak season remains the “European summer,” the choice of which month to visit differs for visitors depending on the country: Tourists from the US will choose to visit Greece in July (21%), Britons seem to prefer May (17%) and June (27%), while the French choose to travel mainly in September (20%).
In terms of travelers’ budgets, Americans are estimated to spend an average of 3,040 euros per person per visit in Greece, while the British and French spend €1,900 and €2,550 per person respectively. That is significantly higher than the total average per capita expenditure, i.e. from all countries of origin of travelers, in Greece.
Almost nine out of 10 visitors plan their trip approximately one month before their arrival. While accommodation booking platforms remain the most popular source of information for travel destinations, accompanied by official websites of hotels, services and restaurants, ChatGPT is emerging as a new source of information for planning activities.
The main Greek tourist product they buy is “sun and sea.” However, visits to cultural sites also play an important role in their decision to visit Greece.
In terms of their behavior during their stay, the survey shows that beach time (69%) is the most important reason for choosing Greece, with even higher rates among British (72%) and French (71%) respondents. Visits to cultural sites follow at 65%, with French travelers showing even greater interest (72%). Half of the tourists from these three countries who visit Greece make trips of four to seven days, while the other half stay over eight days.
Athens and the islands remain the top choices. For US visitors, Attica comes first (41%), followed by the South Aegean (31%) and Crete (27%). The British prefer the Ionian Islands (32%) but the French also choose the capital (39%).