New results from a rolling survey by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) position Greece as the third most popular Mediterranean destination for European travellers, with 29% of respondents saying they intend to visit the Hellenic Republic by May 2027.
In what is being taken as a double endorsement, more than half (58%) of those planning a trip would be return visitors to Greece, having already been there at least once, while 42% would be first-time visitors. Andreas Fiorentinos, secretary general of the Greek National Tourism Organization, said the finding confirms Greece has “both the trust of those who have already visited it and the interest of new audiences.”
The variety of experiences on offer across the country emerged as travellers’ favourite aspect of Greece, cited by 83% of respondents. That was followed closely by the warmth of the local welcome (82%) and safety (77%). Tourist infrastructure (75%) and value for money (67%) were also perceived favourably.
A trend towards travel during Europe’s “shoulder seasons” also emerges from the results. Approximately 35% of people polled said they were planning to travel to Greece between September and November 2026, with as many as 23% preferring September. After a summer in which Europe has grappled with heatwaves, droughts and wildfires, travel consumers may well have cooler temperatures and fewer crowds in mind.
The findings are based on responses from 7,896 travellers aged 18 to 64 from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Greece’s popularity spans the region, with the highest intent to travel there among Romanians (45%), Italians (38%) and Swedes (37%).
Although the rankings of other countries in the survey have not been revealed by the Greek authorities, the figures reinforce previous reporting by the European Travel Commission (ETC), which found that Greece recorded stronger growth in visitor arrivals (+38.3%) than Italy and Malta in the first months of 2026.
The country may also have received a popularity boost in early summer after it unilaterally decided to waive new European Entry/Exit System requirements for British arrivals due to operational issues and delays seen across the bloc’s travel hubs.
In addition, Greece has introduced a so-called “door visa” for Turkish visitors, facilitating visas on arrival for Turkish travellers to 12 Greek islands (Chios, Kalymnos, Kastellorizo, Kos, Leros, Lesvos, Limnos, Patmos, Rhodes, Samos, Samothraki and Symi), all situated close to the Turkish coast. The policy has driven 25% growth in Turkish arrivals to the Hellenic Republic since 2024, Bank of Greece data shows
