Greece: Champion in visitor satisfaction but lagging in sustainability - What affects its reputation

Greece recorded an awesome level of visitant restitution successful the 2nd 4th of 2025, with an wide people of 9.1 – higher than the European mean (8.8) – portion each Regions scored supra 9.0. Despite the beardown representation of hospitality and experience, the state lags down successful sustainability, showing ample determination disparities and a debased percent of environmentally certified businesses compared with its competitors.

Visitors from the United States (9.3) and the United Kingdom (9.2) continued to study the highest satisfaction, giving peculiarly precocious scores successful Regions specified arsenic the Peloponnese (USA 9.6) and the Cyclades (UK 9.2). Visitors from Germany (8.6), Italy (8.5), and France (8.4) rated Greece little overall. High restitution was besides recorded by visitors from Poland (9.7) and Hungary (9.5) successful Thessaly, arsenic good arsenic by visitors from Bulgaria (9.5) successful Central Macedonia.

These findings travel from a caller INSETE study for the 2nd 4th of 2025 (April–June), based connected large information investigation and traveler reviews connected platforms, societal media, and question websites. The study, carried retired successful collaboration with TCI Research/MMGY, records some the country’s wide online estimation and the level of visitant restitution successful each Region.

Key points from evaluations connected tourism websites (online question agents, reappraisal sites, etc.):

• Satisfaction with Greece remained precise precocious (9.1), supra Europe’s wide people (8.8).
• The fig of reviews roseate steadily with the commencement of the summertime season, reaching astir 188,000 reviews successful the 2nd quarter.
• Satisfaction levels stayed precocious crossed the country, exceeding 9 successful each Regions.
• Regional ranking: Western Macedonia (9.5), Thessaly (9.5), Cyclades (9.3), Ionian Islands (9.3), Central Greece (9.2), Western Greece (9.2), Central Macedonia (9.2), Dodecanese (9.1), Epirus (9.1), Peloponnese (9.1), Attica (9.1), North Aegean (9.1), Crete (9.1), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (9.1).
• High restitution successful little tourist-developed destinations highlights opportunities for expanding tourism enactment crossed much areas of the country.
• High restitution successful established destinations specified arsenic the Cyclades and the Ionian Islands demonstrates Greece’s quality to consistently and reliably conscionable planetary tourism demand.

Hospitality and the precocious level of work provided by tourism workers stay Greece’s astir important competitory advantage. Therefore, making employment successful the assemblage much charismatic should beryllium a precedence for tourism businesses, arsenic portion of a strategy that besides strengthens competitiveness and semipermanent sustainability.

On sustainability:
There are ample variations betwixt Regions. Increasing the fig of environmentally certified businesses is simply a important measurement toward shaping a much liable and sustainable tourism acquisition nationwide, susceptible of attracting younger and much environmentally conscious generations of travelers.

Climate and biology challenges are among the main issues negatively affecting the country’s wide reputation, underlining the request for investments—mainly nationalist but besides private—in much resilient infrastructure, insulation, and gathering higher vigor demands.

5th spot successful destination estimation successful Europe
Analysis of online and societal media information shows that astir of Greece’s main rival destinations saw a diminution successful their online reputation, pursuing a wide inclination of deterioration. In this context, Greece besides dropped and ranked 5th, portion Athens—although besides declining—performed importantly better.

According to the Net Sentiment Index (NSI)—a metric utilized successful online and societal media information investigation to seizure the equilibrium of affirmative and antagonistic comments astir a destination—Greece, with an mean NSI of 39, ranks 5th. Croatia is 1st (66), Athens 2nd (61), Italy 3rd (51), Portugal 4th (49), Greece 5th (39), and Spain past astatine 6th (29).

What affects Greece’s estimation positively and negatively

• Online discussions astir civilization dominated with 50,106 mentions, strengthening Greece’s affirmative representation with a precocious NSI people (87).
• Hospitality (79) and gastronomy (78) followed arsenic sources of affirmative stories with precocious scores.
• Positive stories highlighted iconic attractions and experiences: Santorini, Corfu, Milos, and Zagori for earthy beauty, and Knossos, Eleusis, and the Athens–Epidaurus Festival for taste depth. Gastronomy boosted attractiveness, with mentions of olive lipid tastings, vegetarian dishes, and accepted desserts, portion hospitality was reinforced done references to section warmth and trend-aligned options (e.g. vegan accommodations).
• Negative discussions focused chiefly connected the situation and earthy phenomena, with less mentions (8,108) but the lowest NSI people (60). These included the earthquake successful Crete, floods successful Paros and Mykonos, wildfires successful Chios, and heatwaves. Protests against visitors linked to the Israel–Palestine warfare besides had a antagonistic impact.
• Ongoing TCI Research surveys corroborate that clime and biology challenges are among the main issues damaging Greece’s reputation, again stressing the request for stronger nationalist and backstage concern successful resilient infrastructure and vigor solutions.

Experience components crossed the country

Gastronomy (9.2) received the highest ratings, followed by oversea acquisition (9.1) and civilization (9.1).

Hospitality and prime work stay the apical taxable successful visitant comments, scoring 9.5, confirming Greece’s reputation. This was followed by value-for-money (8.9), sustainability (8.5), and hygiene (8.3).

Differences, strengths, and challenges by Region

Sustainability and hygiene showed the top saltation crossed Regions. Greece presently ranks among the countries with the lowest percent of certified units compared with its main competitors.

• Gastronomy: Ionian Islands (9.4), Crete (9.3), Dodecanese (9.3), and Cyclades (9.3) led successful satisfaction, portion Western Macedonia (9.5) besides stood out, contempt less reviews.
• Sea experience: Epirus (9.7), Attica (9.4), Cyclades (9.4), and Ionian Islands (9.2) received the highest scores.
• Culture: Thessaly (9.5) and Eastern Macedonia & Thrace (9.4) ranked top, with Central Greece (9.4) besides exceeding the nationalist average.
• Hospitality: Western Macedonia (10.0), Epirus (9.9), Central Greece (9.6), Thessaly (9.6), and Western Greece (9.7) excelled.
• Sustainability: Thessaly (9.7), Eastern Macedonia & Thrace (9.6), and North Aegean (9.4) achieved the highest scores. Cyclades (7.4) and Central Greece (6.7) scored comparatively lower, reflecting determination disparities.
• Hygiene: Central Macedonia (9.2) and North Aegean (9.2) scored supra average, portion Eastern Macedonia & Thrace (6.9) and Peloponnese (6.0) had weaker results.