A study by the Institute of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises reveals significant findings on the travel habits of Greeks. Conducted by Focus Bari for INSETE, the online survey involved over 35,000 residents of Greece, aged 16-64, over twelve months.

Reasons for Travel:

• Leisure: The primary reason for travel, both domestically and internationally, is recreation (around 60%).
• Visiting Relatives/Friends: The second most common reason (18%).
• Professional Purposes: More significant for international travel (14%) compared to domestic travel (11%).
• Other Purposes: Very small percentages travel for medical or other reasons.

Types of Travel:

• International: City travel is the most common (50%).
• Domestic: Sea/beach holidays dominate (45%).
• Sightseeing: The second most frequent type (32%) for both domestic and international travel.

Popular Destinations:

• Abroad: Italy (17%), Germany (11%), and France (9%).
• Within Greece: Attica and Central Greece-Evia (21%), Macedonia (19%), and the Peloponnese (14%)—destinations easily accessible by car.

Accommodations:

• Hotels: The preferred type (52% for domestic trips and 64% for international trips).
• Short-term Rentals: Significant percentage (22% domestic and 16% international).
• Hospitality: Similar percentages (21% domestic and 15% international).
• Hotel Categories: A higher percentage of 4 and 5 stars for international trips (40% and 15%) compared to domestic trips (35% and 12%).

Activities:

• Domestic: Food and Drink (64%), Relaxation (62%), Enjoying Nature (36%), Swimming and Sunbathing (25%).
• International: Sightseeing (61%), Food and Drink (57%), Visiting Museums/Exhibitions (45%), Shopping (37%), Enjoying City Atmosphere (35%).

Means of Transport:

• Domestic Travel: Dominated by land transport (74% – 80% by car, 14% by bus, 3% by train), followed by sea (16%), and air travel (10%).
• International Travel: Dominated by air (72%), followed by land (23% – 56% car, 26% bus, 7% train, 8% motorbike), and sea (5%).

Sources of Information:

• Internet: Primary source (65% for international, 57% for domestic travel).
• Acquaintances/Friends: Secondary source (36% international, 31% domestic).
• Travel Agencies: More significant for international travel (17%) compared to domestic (8%).
• No Specific Source: 19% of domestic trips compared to 8% of international trips.
• Internet Sources: Hotel websites dominate (53% domestic, 48% international), followed by service evaluation sites (32% domestic, 40% international), hotel websites (34% domestic, 30% international), and flight websites (20% domestic, 43% international).

Booking Methods:

• Reservation Rates: High for both types of travel (71% domestic, 80% international).
• Online Bookings: Significantly higher for international travel (69%) compared to domestic (39%).
• Booking Categories: For domestic travel, Accommodation (52%) and Ferry/Boat (14%) are the most popular. Internationally, the most popular category is flights.