The travel intentions tourist by the USAthe United Kingdom and France intending to visit the Greece In 2025 it captures an investigation conducted by Ipsos On behalf of Visa in the first quarter of 2025 in a sample of 1,500 people.

As Nikos Petrakis, Visa’s country manager in Greece, said today, presenting the main conclusions of the research in the context of an informational event, tourists choose Greece for the sun, the sea and the cultural heritage, so Athens and the islands are at the top of their preferences.

According to him, almost 9 out of 10 visitors are planning their journey about a month before their arrival. It is noteworthy that while accommodation platforms remain the most popular source of information on travel destinations, accompanied by official hotel, services and restaurant websites, Chatgpt is highlighted as a new source of information to design activities, with travelers and three destinations.

“Visa is committed to promoting digital payments, with the aim of improving the experience of visitors in Greece. From the introduction of intact payments to public transport throughout Athens and to thirty cities to the installation of automatic tickets to important archaeological sites, we implement initiatives that facilitate visitors to Greece and enhance accessibility. At the same time we work with the Ministry of Tourism to support strategic planning based on real data. As the season has already begun, our research with Ipsos aims to help the tourism sector better targeting visitors and providing personalized experiences. Our ultimate goal is to contribute to the upgrading of the tourism product of Greece and to strengthen the Greek economy, with tourism being a vital component of growth, “Mr Petrakis said.

What did the survey show

According to the results of the survey, the beach moments (69%) are Greece’s most important choice, with even higher rates between the British (72%) and the French (71%) respondents. Following are visits to 65%cultural sites, with French travelers being even more interesting (72%). Visitors from the US are interested in a wider range of activities compared to the French and the British. Among them, nightlife, theme parks and music events.

Almost half of the tourists visiting Greece (48%) make a 4-7 day trip, while a similar percentage stays in the country for more than 8 days.

Although the peak is the “European Summer”, the choice of visit time is different for visitors depending on the country: tourists from the US will choose to visit Greece in July (21%), the British seem to prefer in May (17%) and June (27%), while the Gallee (27%). At the same time, 5 out of 10 tourists visiting Greece in 2025 will also visit Italy, while 4 in 10 will also visit Spain.

Athens and the Greek islands remain the top choices for travelers in our country. For visitors from the US, Attica is the most popular destination (41%), followed by the South Aegean (31%) and Crete (27%). The British show preference for the Ionian Islands (32%), with the South Aegean and Attica at 27%. Correspondingly, French tourists choose Attica (39%), Crete (35%) and the South Aegean (30%).

Visitors from the US are expected to spend an average of 3,040 euros per person on their travels to Greece this year, which accounts for about 13% of their annual income. British tourists, on the other hand, are planning to spend 1,900 euros per person, representing about 11% of their income, while one in four is intent to increase that amount compared to the previous year. French tourists are planning to spend an average of EUR 2,550 per person, which also corresponds to 11% of their annual income. Luxury tourism is mainly expected by visitors from the US.

The cards in their natural form are still the preferred payment method for most activities in all age groups. However, tourists from the United Kingdom and the US are expected to use cash more frequently for minimum costs in public transport, tourist shops and parking. Despite the increasing preference for intact payments, with 7 out of 10 tourists declaring that they will choose them, about one -third is expected to use more cash during his travels, compared to the usual use in his country. It is worth noting that almost half of the visitors will use the same payment methods as in their country. French tourists, in particular, are expected to make the least cash use.

Nearly 9 out of 10 visitors plan their journey about a month before their arrival. While accommodation platforms remain the most popular source of information on travel destinations, accompanied by official hotel, service and restaurant websites, Chatgpt is highlighted as a new source of information to design activities, with travelers and three destinations to use it. Visitors from the US are preceded by higher rates, while French travelers seem to use it less.

Ecological tourism is more important to Americans than European tourists, who, although appreciated, do not place it high on their priorities. It is noteworthy that 30% of US visitors are willing to pay between 5% and 10% more if purchases, reservations or activities are more environmentally friendly. The awareness of the viability of tourism activities is “very important” for one third (1/3) of tourists, especially in restaurants, transport and routes.