Monemvasia, Peloponnese. Photo source: Monemvasia.gr
Greece’s appeal as a premium international destination has continued to strengthen over the past 16 years, according to long-term analysis by global economic advisory firm Oxford Economics, covering the period from 2010 to 2026.
The analysis titled “Global Key Themes 2026: Bullish on the US Despite AI Bubble Fears” highlights key trends shaping the global economy in the era of artificial intelligence, noting that international travel is expected to remain resilient despite a broader economic slowdown.
In this context, Greece has recorded a clear upward trajectory since 2010, according to international arrivals data, placing among the top ten global destinations in 2026 after rising from 17th place in 2010 to 14th–15th place by 2019.
This sustained climb highlights Greece’s growing international appeal and its strengthening role among the world’s most competitive tourism destinations.
Europe dominates the list
Demand dynamics, along with new investment and development, will continue to shape destination market share and rankings. Alongside Greece, the top ten global destination rankings are expected to be dominated by Southern and Mediterranean European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, and Turkey.
“The ranking of popular destinations is not set in stone, and continued changes are expected in 2026 and beyond,” analysts wrote.
Non-European destinations in the ranking include China, the US, Mexico, Japan, and the UK, while the wider top 20 also includes Thailand, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Austria, and Malaysia.
Global travel to defy economic slowdown in 2026
Global travel is expected to remain resilient in 2026, even as broader economic conditions soften.
International visitor growth is forecast to accelerate to 8 percent in 2026, up from 5 percent in 2025, while global GDP growth is expected to slow to 2.7 percent, from 2.9 percent, as the impact of tariffs continues to be felt across the economy.
Despite this slowdown, international arrivals are projected to accelerate to 8 percent, supported by improving sentiment and region-specific dynamics.
AI emerges as a key travel planning tool
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important tool in travel planning. AI-powered platforms are proving particularly valuable for identifying competitive deals, especially among Gen Z and Millennials, whose AI usage is more than three times higher than that of Gen X and Baby Boomers.
At the same time, AI adoption by tourism businesses is expected to grow further, as the technology increasingly supports marketing, customer engagement, and targeting strategies.
Events set to play a key role in destination performance
Data indicate that events will remain a key driver of growth across many destinations and will shape relative performance in terms of volume and value, with business travel — including bleisure — commonly cited by more than half of industry experts as a key growth opportunity.
Two mega-events expected to take place in 2026 — both of which tend to attract large visitor numbers and significantly boost revenues in host destinations — are the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in North America.
An estimated two million and 1.24 million international visitors, respectively, are expected to attend the events, highlighting the significant impact of large-scale events on the international travel industry.
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