Greece is in the Top 5 Travel Destinations for Western Europeans

Greece remains one of the top five travel destinations for Western European travellers over the next 12 months, according to the latest study by the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (INSETE), reinforcing the country’s strong and steadily improving tourism brand.

The study shows that Greece ranks third among preferred outbound travel destinations for travelers from Germany and Italy, fourth for France and the United Kingdom, and sixth for Spain. Compared with 2024, Greece improved its ranking by one position in both the UK and Spanish markets, while maintaining stable positions in the remaining markets. The UK and Germany continue to represent Greece’s two strongest inbound tourism markets in terms of both arrivals and revenue.

The findings come from INSETE’s January 2026 report titled “Brand Greece: How Attractive Is Greece as a Tourist Destination? A Comparison with Competing Mediterranean Destinations.” The research focuses on key Western European markets, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. The underlying survey was conducted by GWI in two waves during 2025, involving 7,402 respondents, and also draws comparisons with data from two survey waves conducted in 2024. The study examines travel intentions for the next 12 months, including the crucial summer period for Greek tourism.

The markets analyzed account for nearly half of Greece’s inbound tourism revenue, contributing approximately 47–48% of total receipts, based on official Bank of Greece data for 2023–2024.

Across all surveyed markets, Greece places within the top five preferred destinations, ranking third or fourth in most cases, with the exception of Spain, where it ranks sixth. Even in the Spanish market, however, Greece improved its position by one place, confirming the resilience and appeal of the Greek tourism brand. Notably, the gap in preference between Greece and the country ranked immediately above it in both the UK and Spain is just two percentage points, highlighting Greece’s strong competitive momentum.

Market comparisons for 2025 show the following:

• Germany: Greece ranks third with a preference rate of 19.7%, following Italy at 26.8% and Spain at 24.9%. Austria follows closely at 19.0%, while France records 17.9%.

• France: Greece ranks fourth with 12.6%, behind Spain at 26.9%, Italy at 24.8%, and Portugal at 15.1%.

• United Kingdom: Greece holds fourth place with a preference rate of 19.9%, after Spain, Italy, and France, while Portugal ranks sixth.

• Spain: Greece ranks sixth with 9.5%, behind Italy, France, and Portugal.

• Italy: Greece ranks third with 16.8%, following Spain and France, while Portugal ranks fifth.

INSETE notes that in the Italian and Spanish markets, competing Mediterranean destinations such as Croatia and Turkey do not appear in the top ten preferences. The study also highlights that Greece maintains high preference levels despite its geographic position, which does not favor road access. In contrast, destinations such as Italy, Spain, France, and Austria benefit from easy overland travel, particularly for German and French tourists. This contrast underlines that Greece’s appeal rests on a strong, distinctive, and recognizable tourism product rather than geographic convenience.

Commenting on the findings, INSETE General Director Ilias Kikilias said that the Greek tourism brand has firmly established itself at the top level of Mediterranean competition and has entered a phase of maturity. He stressed that competition in the region is structural rather than temporary, with Spain and Italy acting as leading destinations. Kikilias emphasized that strengthening sustainability and resilience, preserving destination identity, and diversifying Greece’s tourism offering through a long-term, coordinated strategy between the public and private sectors are now more critical than ever.