Greece has earned yet another prestigious tourism distinction in the highly significant German market, reaffirming its leading position among German travelers’ top choices. The country was named the “Most Hospitable Country in the World” at the Travelbook Awards 2025, organized by Axel Springer’s online travel magazine Travelbook.

Travelbook, with a dynamic presence in the market, is Germany’s largest travel platform and serves as a key source of inspiration, ideas and trends in global tourism for millions of readers. Each year, the Travelbook Awards highlight the world’s top destinations, travel experiences and industry leaders.

Countries shortlisted in each award category are carefully selected from a wide pool of candidates by the magazine’s editorial team and travel industry experts, with input from the Travelbook community on Facebook and Instagram. Notably, this year’s voting for the top travel destinations of 2026 across seven selected categories attracted a total of 150,000 participants.

Greece secured first place with 28% of the votes, followed by New Zealand (24%), Sri Lanka (23%), Costa Rica (17%) and South Africa (9%).

Greece: Warmth and Care Offered Naturally to Visitors

The award ceremony took place on September 23, 2025, at Axel Springer’s headquarters in Berlin, where the honor for Greece was received by Nicoletta Lekanidi, Head of the GNTO Office in Germany.

During the ceremony, Axel Springer Book Family’s editor-in-chief Nuno Alves remarked:

“I had the great pleasure of visiting Greece many times: first as a student, later with my wife, and most recently with my two daughters. And, each time, I noticed one thing that always remained the same: the natural offering of attention and warmth to visitors.”

Accepting the award, Ms. Lekanidi noted:

“In Greek, we use the word ‘filoxenia,’ which means love and friendliness toward strangers. And, in truth, it is genuine love and sincere care. Greece is more than beaches, the sea and sunshine – it is its people. They radiate real affection, warmth, and joy for life. When you travel to Greece, you can truly feel this spirit!”

This article originally appeared in moneyreview.gr