Athens is in the top 10 most booked European cities for 2020

Athens is the top 10 most booked European cities for 2020, according to joint research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and ForwardKeys.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Greece came in 4th place.

From July 1, tourism in Greece will “open” as international arrivals will be allowed to enter from all airports in the country and not just Athens and Thessaloniki.

Flight booking data shows London has fallen to the bottom of the top 10 most booked European cities, as border restrictions and UK quarantine regulations choked travel, according to WTTC.

"Travel restrictions and quarantines have continued to quash air travel and strangle demand for travel to and from London, causing it to fall to the bottom of the league for top ten most booked European cities, according to latest flight bookings," Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO said.

According to ForwardKeys research, new tickets issued for future international travel to the European Union (EU) dropped by 84.4% in the first half of June compared to the same period in 2019, recovering from a 94.5% overall decline in May.

New flight bookings for all international future departures from the EU slumped by 80.2% in the first half of June 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, recovering from a hefty 92.3% decline in May.

“The implementation of global protocols as well as testing and contact tracing for intercontinental arrivals, as unveiled by WTTC’s Safe and Seamless Traveller Journey initiative, will restore consumer confidence and encourage travelling to resume," Guevara added.