Greece ranks in the top 10 European countries that Australians wish to visit this summer, according to research by the European Travel Commission in the overseas markets of European tourism in collaboration with Eurail BV.

According to the findings of the research, this year 16% of surveyed Australians are planning a trip to Greece. The country ranks 5th on Australians’ wish list with France emerging as the top choice for 35% of Australian travelers, making it the most popular European destination.

The second most popular destination is Italy, followed by Austria and Germany (collectively attracting 25% of all Australians traveling to Europe this year), the United Kingdom and Spain (at 21%), Greece (16%), Switzerland (14%), Croatia, and Denmark.

Moreover, Greece stands out as one of Europe’s premier destinations, captivating long-haul travelers not just from Australia, but also from Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, and the US throughout the period of January to April 2024.

In 2023, according to Webjet data Australia’s biggest online travel agency, bookings to Athens grew by 369.5%, with the capital being the most searched destination for travel between June 1 and August 1 of the same year.

“Greece seems to cast a unique spell over Aussies during the European summer season,” CEO, Webjet, David Galt, told news.com au.

With the CEO adding that Greece had jumped right into the top three most searched international destinations for EU summer last year.

“But anyone who finds themselves on TikTok would be hard-pressed to miss the millions of views racking up on videos associated with Greek travel, particularly around islands such as Santorini,” he noted.