India and China are emerging as the most dynamic long-haul growth markets for Greece over the next twelve months, signaling a gradual shift in the country’s tourism geography. New research by INSETE, the research arm of the Greek Tourism Confederation, shows that while traditional markets such as the United States, Canada, and Australia continue to provide a stable base of inbound demand, momentum is increasingly building across Asia.
The institute evaluated Greece’s positioning across five major long-haul markets, the United States, Canada, China, India and Australia, which together accounted for approximately eleven percent of inbound tourism revenue in 2024. These findings underscore the resilience of established markets while highlighting Greece’s accelerating recognition in emerging destinations.
Compared with 2024, Greece maintained its ranking in the US market and slipped by one place in both Canada and Australia. Performance in Asia, however, strengthened markedly, with the country climbing nine positions in India and three in China as brand awareness and air connectivity improved.
Greece’s tourism growth gains momentum in India and China
Looking ahead to travel intentions over the next twelve months, Greece ranks 11th in Australia, 12th in Canada, and 13th in the United States. In India, the country rises to 27th place, marking a nine-position increase year-on-year, while in China it reaches 29th place, up three positions from the previous year.
At the same time, the competitive gap remains narrow. In the United States, the difference between Greece and the next-ranked destination stands at roughly 1.5 percentage points, while in Canada the margin is about one percentage point.
In China, destinations ranking as many as seven places above Greece show a gap of approximately one percentage point. Such slim margins indicate that incremental improvements in visibility and connectivity could translate into tangible tourism growth.
Mediterranean rivalry challenges Greece tourism growth
The study also benchmarks Greece against six Mediterranean competitors: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Turkey.
In the United States market, Greece ranks 13th overall, trailing Italy in 5th place, France in 7th and Spain in 8th. Canada reflects a similar hierarchy, with Greece in 12th position behind Italy in 4th, France in 5th and Spain in 6th.
Across Asia, competition intensifies further. China places Greece 29th overall, compared with Italy at 13th, France at ninth and Spain at 23rd. In India, Greece ranks 27th, while Italy stands at 13th, France at 12th and Spain at 21st.
Australia presents a comparatively stronger performance. There, Greece holds 11th place overall, positioned behind Italy in 6th and France in 8th, yet ahead of Spain in 12th.
Within the Mediterranean peer group, Greece ranks 3rd in Australia and 4th in the United States, Canada, China and India, underscoring both its resilience and the competitive intensity shaping global long-haul tourism growth.