- Greece as a whole, as well as Athens and each region individually, maintained their superiority in terms of the visiting experience, with a score higher than the European average.
- The high level of visitor satisfaction in Western Macedonia and Thessaly highlights the potential for expanding tourism activity in more regions of the country.
- At the same time, the high satisfaction of visitors in mature tourist destinations, such as the Cyclades and the Ionian Islands, documents the country’s ability to consistently and reliably meet the expectations of international tourist demand.
- Hospitality and the high level of service provided by tourism workers are the most important competitive advantage of the Greek tourism product. Therefore, enhancing the attractiveness of employment in the sector should be a priority for tourism businesses, as part of a strategy that also strengthens their competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
- There is a large variation in sustainability among the Regions. Increasing the number of businesses with environmental certification is a critical step in creating a more responsible and sustainable tourism experience at the national level, one that can attract younger and more environmentally conscious generations of travelers.
- Climate and environmental challenges are among the main issues negatively affecting the country’s overall reputation, highlighting the need for investments – mainly public, but also private – in more resilient infrastructure and insulation, as well as in meeting increased energy demands.
- In the context of monitoring tourism activity through diverse sources, INSETE collaborates with TCI Research (now a part of MMGY) on collecting big data for Greece and competitive destinations (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia), allowing for a comparison of the country’s and Athens’ overall image with the competition.
The report also includes data for the country’s 13 regions (with a breakdown of the N. Aegean in the Cyclades and Dodecanese), which reflect the tourist experience in terms of dining and attractions. As part of the analysis, 116 million comments on attractions and 710,000 on restaurants/bars in Greece were evaluated, as well as 5.3 million and 8.9 million, respectively, for competitive destinations.
FULL REPORT, HERE
For the entire second quarter Q2 (April 2025-June 2025) and based on the analysis of data from the internet and social media, the main points are as follows:
The evolution of the country’s online reputation based on the NSI (Net Sentiment Index)
During the second quarter of 2025 (Q2), the majority of the main competitive destinations recorded a decline in their online reputation, following a general trend of deterioration. In this context, Greece experienced a decline and ranked 5th, while Athens — although it also experienced a decline — maintained a significantly better performance.
Specifically, according to the Net Sentiment Index (NSI) — an index used mainly in internet and social media data analysis to capture the “balance” of positive and negative comments about a destination — Greece, with an average NSI of 39, ranks 5th. Croatia is in 1st place (66), Athens is in 2nd place (61), Italy is in 3rd place (51), and Portugal is in 4th place (49). Greece is in 5th place (39), while Spain is in 6th and last place (29).
The content of online discussions
Online discussions about culture dominated with 50,106 mentions, reinforcing a positive image of Greece and scoring high on the NSI Index (87).
Hospitality (79) and gastronomy (78) followed as sources of positive stories with high ratings.
The positive stories include narratives that highlight Greece’s iconic sights and experiences. Santorini, Corfu, Milos, and Zagorochoria attracted attention for their natural beauty, while Knossos, Eleusis, and the Athens-Epidaurus Festival highlighted the cultural depth of experiences that visitors to the country can have. The gastronomic narratives have enhanced the country’s attractiveness and are mainly related to references to olive oil tastings, vegetarian dishes, and traditional desserts, while hospitality has been enhanced through references to local hospitality and choices aligned with new trends (e.g., vegan accommodations.
Online discussions that negatively affect Greece’s reputation focus mainly on the environment and natural phenomena, with a relatively smaller volume of references (8,108) but the lowest NSI score (60). These discussions include the earthquake in Crete, the floods in Paros and Mykonos, the fires in Chios, and the heatwaves. Additionally, protests against visitors related to the Israel-Palestine war have a negative impact on the country’s image.
According to ongoing TCI Research surveys, climate and environmental challenges are among the main issues negatively affecting the country’s overall reputation, highlighting the need for investments—primarily public, but also private—in more resilient infrastructure and insulation, as well as meeting increased energy demands.
Based on the evaluations of the visitors’ experience on tourist sites (online travel agents, travel review sites, etc.), the main points are as follows:
Experience evaluation
- The satisfaction level for Greece remained very high (9.1) and higher than the overall European score (8.8).
- The number of reviews steadily increased with the start of the summer season, reaching almost 188,000 reviews in total in the second quarter.
- Satisfaction levels remained high throughout the country, with all regions exceeding 9.0.
- Specifically, the ranking of the Regions is as follows: West Macedonia (9.5), Thessaly (9.5), Cyclades (9.3), Ionian Islands (9.3), Central Greece (9.2), West 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), East Macedonia and Thrace (9.1).
- The high satisfaction of visitors from less developed tourist destinations highlights the potential for expanding tourism activity to more areas of the country.
- The high recorded satisfaction of visitors to mature tourist destinations, such as the Cyclades and the Ionian Islands, documents the country’s ability to consistently and reliably meet the expectations of international tourist demand.
- Individual components of the experience in the country as a whole. Nationally, gastronomy (9.2) receives the highest score in numerical evaluations, followed by sea experience (9.1) and culture (9.1).
- Hospitality and quality service are consistently the main topics in the written comments of visitors nationwide, with a rating of 9.5, confirming Greece’s reputation in this regard. The following are in descending order: the quality-price ratio (8.9), sustainability (8.5), and hygiene (8.3).
- Hospitality and the high level of service provided by tourism workers are the most important competitive advantage of the Greek tourism product. Therefore, enhancing the attractiveness of employment in the sector should be a priority for tourism businesses, as part of a strategy that also strengthens their competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
Differences, strengths, and challenges by Region
- Gastronomy: The Ionian Islands (9.4), Crete (9.3), the Dodecanese (9.3) and the Cyclades (9.3) ranked first in terms of satisfaction with gastronomy. Western Macedonia (9.5) also stood out for its gastronomy, although with a significantly lower number of reviews.
- Experience in the sea: Epirus (9.7), Attica (9.4), Cyclades (9.4), and the Ionian Islands (9.2) received the highest ratings for sea experiences.
- Culture: Thessaly (9.5) and East Macedonia & Thrace (9.4) ranked first in satisfaction with culture. Central Greece (9.4) also exceeded the national average.
- Hospitality: Western Macedonia (10.0), Epirus (9.9), Central Greece (9.6), Thessaly (9.6), Western Greece (9.7) stood out for the exceptional level of hospitality they offer.
- Sustainability: Thessaly (9.7), Eastern Macedonia & Thrace (9.6), and the North Aegean (9.4) achieved the highest sustainability score. Cyclades (7.4) and Sterea Ellada (6.7) recorded comparatively lower scores, reflecting regional differences.
- Health: Central Macedonia (9.2) and North Aegean (9.2) received above-average health ratings, while Eastern Macedonia & Thrace (6.9) and Peloponnese (6.0) had lower scores.
It is worth noting that sustainability and health show the largest variation among the Regions.
Regarding sustainability, increasing the number of businesses with environmental certification is a crucial step in creating a more responsible and sustainable tourism experience at the national level, capable of attracting younger and more environmentally conscious generations of travelers. Greece is also among the countries with the lowest percentage of certified units compared to its main competitors (source: https://insete.gr/bi/hotel-sustainability-indicators-gr/).
Evaluation of experience per purchase
Visitors from the United States (9.3) and the United Kingdom (9.2) continued to record the highest satisfaction, giving particularly high ratings to regions such as the Peloponnese (US 9.6) and the Cyclades (UK 9.2). Visitors from Germany (8.6), Italy (8.5), and France (8.4) gave Greece lower overall ratings.
Visitors from Poland (9.7) and Hungary (9.5) also recorded high satisfaction in Thessaly, as well as visitors from Bulgaria (9.5) in Central Macedonia.
Source:
money-tourism.gr
https://money-tourism.gr/en/greece-ranks-first-in-tourist-satisfaction-with-gastronomy-service-and-hospitality-being-its-main-assets-nsi-report/
