Greece’s popularity among European travellers looks set to continue into 2027, with the country attracting strong interest from first-time and repeat visitors.
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New findings from the Greek National Tourism Organization’s (GNTO) three-part rolling market survey found that 29% of Europeans intend to visit Greece by May 2027 – making it the third most popular Mediterranean destination.
More than half (58%) of those planning a trip have already visited the Hellenic Republic, while 42% plan to visit for the first time.
These findings are from the first part of the survey, which polled 7,896 travellers aged 18 to 64, hailing from the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Romania.
Interest to visit was especially high among Romanian travellers at 45%, followed by travellers from Italy and Sweden at 38% and 37%, respectively.
For 2026, demand also appears to extend even after the traditional summer, with 35% of those surveyed planning to travel to Greece are considering trips between September and November 2026. September was also the top preference month chosen by 23% of would-be travellers.
"The initial findings of the survey confirm that Greece maintains a strong position in the travel intentions of Europeans, gaining both the trust of those who have already visited it and the interest of new audiences," Andreas Fiorentinos, secretary general of the Greek National Tourism Organization, said.
He added that the data would allow the GNTO to adapt its promotional strategy to the dynamics of individual markets.
The GNTO also examined what stands out in visitors’ perceptions of the country’s individual characteristics and travel experiences on offer. Variety of experiences emerged as the country’s strongest attribute, as cited by 83% of respondents, followed by the friendliness and hospitality of locals at 82%, safety at 77%, tourist infrastructure at 75% and quality-to-price ratio at 67%.
This comes as Greece recorded a strong start to the year for tourism. The European Travel Commission’s (ETC) recent trends and prospects quarterly report found Greece to lead in visitor arrivals in the first months of 2026, recording +38.3%, ahead of Italy and Malta, which recorded +21.1% and +16% respectively.