Seven Greek islands among the best in Europe, according to the Conde Nast Traveller readers’ awards

Crete is the leader in air arrivals and international tourism awards

Crete tops the ranking of Europe’s best islands, as reflected in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, based on the preferences of travelers from around the world and readers of the leading travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller.

Specifically, Crete is in 4th place, with the Greek islands taking the honors, as 7 are included in this list. Focusing on the Greek islands that the magazine’s readers highlighted in their preferences, these are Paros (3rd place), Skiathos (5th), Rhodes (7th), Zakynthos (12th), Corfu (17th) and Santorini in (18th).

The Greek islands with their excellent accommodation have attracted an international audience, as the authentic experiences they offer continue to attract visitors from all over the world, it was pointed out. Focusing on Crete, the flagship of Greek tourism, based on data released by INSEETE for the eight months of 2024, the development of air arrivals exceeded all expectations

In any case, Crete and the autumn months are moving at a very good pace in arrivals, while many tourist units have already announced that they will extend their operation in mid-November, as a result of the demand for the island in international markets.

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Crete: Listed by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 European destinations for sunny winter holidays

 “The southern regions of Europe offer plenty of blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures,” writes Lonely Planet.

Lonely Planet has presented the top 10 best destinations in Europe for sunny winter holidays, and Crete is featured in this list

These 10 destinations evoke summer in winter, according to Lonely Planet. “Europeans do not need to travel far to find places for holidaying in good weather during the winter months,” the publication states.

“The southern regions of Europe offer plenty of blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures. Moreover, traveling in the low season means holiday packages at lower costs, as well as exclusive travel experiences, such as beaches and villages without hordes of tourists,” according to Lonely Planet.

Crete ranks 10th on the list, providing moments of tranquility and serenity along with quality services, allowing visitors to enjoy paradise beaches like Elafonissi, explore unique historical sites such as the Palace of Knossos, discover favorite spots in Chania and Heraklion, dine in beautiful restaurants, and have fun in bars and cafes.

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Crete Sees Rise in UK Pre-Bookings for 2025, Following Strong 2024 Arrivals

 UK pre-bookings for Crete in 2025 mirror the 10.8 percent increase in air arrivals recorded during the first half of 2024, according to data presented by the Region of Crete at the WTM London 2024 exhibition.

From November 5 to 7, a delegation from the Region of Crete participated in the prestigious London fair, showcasing the island as an ideal luxury destination for spring and autumn travel.

Deputy Governor of Tourism Kyriakos Kotsoglou highlighted the importance of Crete’s strategic presence at WTM London 2024, particularly given the UK’s position as Crete’s second-largest tourism market.

UK market nearing 1 million annual arrivals to Crete

“With air arrivals increasing by over 10 percent in the first half of 2024 and pre-bookings for 2025 reflecting a similar rise, the UK market is steadily nearing the milestone of 1 million annual arrivals to Crete,” Kotsoglou stated. “This growth could solidify its leading position in the region, a status it already holds in Chania.”

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Eurostat: Crete and South Aegean Among EU Regions with Most Foreign Tourists

 

Over a third of all overnight stays by foreign tourists in the EU are concentrated in ten popular tourist destinations, including several Greek islands, according to Eurostat data for 2023.

Specifically, data analysis from last year, which was a record year for many tourism metrics, shows that the regions with the highest number of overnight stays by foreign tourists were the Canary Islands, with 83.2 million overnight stays, followed by Spain’s Balearic Islands and the Croatian coast.

The top 10 regions also include Spain’s Catalonia and Andalusia; Greece’s South Aegean – which includes islands such as Mykonos and Rhodes – and Crete; the Greater Paris area; Italy’s Veneto; and Austria’s Tyrol.

Collectively, according to the EU’s statistical authority, these ten regions accounted for 37.6 percent of overnight stays by foreign tourists last year.

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ETC: Greece Among Top 10 European Destinations for Fall and Winter 2024/2025 Travel

 Greece is among the top 10 European destinations that travelers plan to visit between October 2024 and March 2025, according to the latest report from the European Travel Commission (ETC).

Greece in top 10 of preferred countries for vacation

The report positions Greece in 6th place among the preferences of European travelers for intra-European travel. Topping the list are Spain and France, each chosen by 7 percent of respondents, followed closely by Italy at 6 percent, Germany at 4.8 percent, and Austria at 4.7 percent in 5th place. Greece is chosen by 4.5 percent of respondents. Croatia ranks 7th with 4.1 percent, while the top 10 is rounded out by the United Kingdom (3.9 percent), Portugal (3.8 percent), and Belgium (3.4 percent).

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ABTA Reports Greece as a Steady Holiday Choice for Brits in 2025

 

Greece remains Britain’s fifth most popular holiday destination for summer 2025, securing an 11 percent market share, according to the 2024-25 Holiday Habits report of ABTA – The Travel Association.

Released during ABTA’s 2024 Travel Convention at Costa Navarino in Greece, the report is based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted from July 24 to August 2, 2024, by The Nursery Research and Planning. It examines travelers’ habits over the past year and their plans for the upcoming one.

In the last 12 months, Greece again ranked fifth among Britons’ preferred holiday destinations, with a 13 percent share, following Spain (31 percent), France (22 percent), Italy (17 percent), and the United States (15 percent).

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World Tourism Organization: Anogia among the 55 best villages in the world for 2024

Awarded as an excellent destination in the field of Rural Tourism

The World Tourism Organization of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has included Anogia in the 55 Best Villages of the World for 2024, awarding it as an Outstanding Destination in the field of Rural Tourism, giving them credit for everything that the village and the Municipal Authority have committed to in terms of innovation and sustainability in the broad field of society, economy and environment.

More than 260 nominations from more than 60 UN member states were put under the microscope of the experts, whose judgement highlighted Anogia, Crete, among the 55 villages, as a tourist destination that meets the requirements for the future of tourism in small communities. “The ‘Best Tourism Villages’ initiative, which is part of the United Nations’ Tourism Development Programme for Rural Development, not only recognizes the remarkable achievements of these villages, such as Anogia, but also highlights the power of tourism and how it can influence the healthy development of areas such as small villages,” noted Anogia Mayor Socrates Kefalogiannis.

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