Greece is strengthening its appeal in key long-haul tourism markets, with India and China emerging as the fastest-growing sources of future demand, according to a new study by the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation, INSETE.
The report, titled "Brand Greece: How attractive is Greece as a tourist destination? Comparison with competing Mediterranean destinations - Part B: Long haul markets", examines the United States, Canada, China, India and Australia. Together, these five markets accounted for around 11% of Greece's inbound tourism revenue in 2024.
While the US, Canada and Australia remain a stable base of high-interest travellers, India and China are showing the strongest momentum for the next 12 months. Compared with 2024, Greece climbed nine places in India and three in China in overall rankings for outbound travel preferences. By contrast, it remained stable in the US and slipped by one position in both Canada and Australia.
For travel over the next year, Greece ranks 11th among Australian travellers, 12th among Canadians and 13th in the US market. It stands lower in absolute terms in India at 27th and China at 29th, but the gap with higher-ranked destinations is narrow. In the US, the difference in preference between Greece and countries just ahead of it is about 1.5 percentage points, while in Canada and China, it is roughly 1 percentage point.
Against six Mediterranean competitors, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Croatia and Turkey, Greece performs strongly. It ranks third among Mediterranean destinations in Australia and fourth in the US, Canada, China and India. Italy, France, and Spain still lead overall in most of these markets, but Greece is a competitive option, particularly for multi-destination Mediterranean trips.
INSETE Director General Ilias Kikilias said that strengthening per capita spending is directly linked to Greece's strategic opening to long-haul markets. The latest findings, he noted, confirm that the brand "Greece" maintains a strong presence in the US, Canada and Australia while recording rapid growth in India and China. However, he warned that, amid rising international competition, the tourism ecosystem requires planning, effective destination governance, and adequate infrastructure. According to Kikilias, a long-term strategy focused on sustainability, resilience, and the preservation of destination identity will be essential if Greece is to convert growing interest into lasting benefits for local communities.
