Greece ranks among the top 10 European destinations for potential travelers from this country’s most important markets, according to a survey conducted for the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE).

Greece as a destination ranks second for the Italians, third for the British, the Germans and the French, and fifth for the Austrians, the survey, titled “Trends and Preferences for International Traveling to Greece’s Markets in Europe and the US,” has found.

The perennial “sea-and-sun” product remains the most popular for most markets, with “city breaks” as a runner-up, per the survey that Censuswide has carried out for INSETE.

The cost of travel has re-emerged as a very important factor affecting travelers’ decisions, alongside those closely related to the pandemic. Trips for a period between three and seven nights are the most common choice, while Germany, France and the Netherlands show a relatively greater frequency in trips with stays of more than 10 nights.

Travelers from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Switzerland mainly prefer the summer months, while the British and the Americans see the following months up to March as their priority for now. Notably, the top choice for accommodation is four- or five-star hotels, with the exception of visitors from the UK and the US who opt for lower categories.

In fact sea-and-sun holidays aren’t quite so one-dimensional as about half of travelers to Greece seek a variety of activities, such as city visits, cultural events, excursions etc.

As for city breaks, the majority of potential visitors among the British, the French and the Americans polled intend to make a trip to Greece before February, while the majority of Germans, Italians, Austrians, Swiss and Dutch intend to come after March. Of course city break travelers demand a large range of activities within the city, such as walks, food service and shopping, as well as outside of it (short trips, sports activities etc).

All this means that both city break and sea-and-sun destinations should supply a wide range of options.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.