Greece through the eyes of modern Germans does not remind one of crisis, memoranda, or bankruptcy, but sun, sea, hospitality, ouzo, and… souvlaki. Ten years after the financial crisis that marked bilateral relations, Greece is recording a record number of German visitors and a record number of positive impressions in German public opinion, with 66% seeing it very positively or positively and almost half identifying it with pleasant moments of vacation, flavors, and history.
This was shown by the first extensive poll on the image of Greece in German public opinion, entitled “Greece through German Eyes: Beyond Stereotypes in German-Greek Relations”, compiled by Dr. Ronald Meinardus and presented by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) office in Athens.
The poll showed that two-thirds of Germans have a very positive or positive image of Greece, of which one in four (25%) said that their image of the country is very positive, and only 8% disagreed with this statement.
68% of men and 63% of women in Germany have a positive attitude towards Greece, while younger Germans tend to evaluate our country more positively compared to those of retirement age.
Correspondingly, 60% believe that the bilateral relationship between the countries is good or very good, with only 7% disagreeing.
Greece seen through the prism of vacations
The vast majority of Germans “see” Greece through the eyes of a tourist, as a country with sunshine all year round, excellent food, friendly residents and an impressive history, that is, as a beloved country where they wish to spend their vacations, which are the most precious days of the year.
Almost half (48%) have identified Greece with the sea, the sun and the warm weather, while large percentages identify it with the food -souvlaki, tzatziki and feta- (31%), with the natural beauties and the hospitality of the inhabitants (27%), with the holidays (18%) and with the history, culture and mythology (15%).
At the same time, spontaneous associations with Greece include island experiences (12%), drinks such as ouzo and wine (10%), and monuments such as the Acropolis, Ancient Olympia, and temples (10%).
10 years after the peak of the financial crisis in Greece, which affected bilateral relations with Germany more than any other event in the last 50 years, only one in 10 Germans associates Greece with terms such as “crisis”, “poverty” and “bankruptcy”, with the corresponding percentages for younger ages being even more limited. Specifically, political references such as crisis, poverty and bankruptcy (9%) appear at the end of the list of their most frequent associations with our country, indicative of the fact that such parameters rarely create interference in the world of experiences of German tourists in Greece, while ghosts of the past such as the Second World War do not play a significant role in the image that Greece has for them.
The main motivations for holidays in Greece
A decisive factor in shaping the public perception of Greece is the personal experience from their travels to Greece. 88% consider that a visit to the country is essential to form an opinion about it, with 46% of the sample having already traveled to Greece. Of these, 51% had very positive and 38% positive impressions.
In fact, mass tourism is the most important factor influencing their image of Greece, with 89% reporting that they had a very positive experience during their holidays.
The main motivations for holidays in Greece are the weather (75%), hospitality (61%), Greek cuisine (53%), and the price-quality ratio of services. The dominant motivation for older Germans is the warm climate, while younger generations prefer Greece for economic reasons and the relatively low cost of traveling to Greece.
Beyond vacations, Germans maintain a wide range of connections with Greece within Germany, with Greek restaurants in the country being the most common meeting places for Greeks – 58% of Germans said they prefer Greek restaurants in Germany. This is followed by personal relationships with Greeks as well as contact with Greek culture and music. In fact, 11% of Germans reported having long-term ties with people of Greek origin.
It is noteworthy that 36% of Germans identify with the concept of Philhellenism, as do 44% of those under 34, 32% are not sure, and 12% hold a negative attitude towards it.
Regarding the occupation of Greece by Nazi Germany, and its shadow on bilateral relations, 13% said that it plays a very important role and 14% important in the perceptions of modern Germans about our country. However, 31% believe that it plays little or no role in the modern perception of Greece. Younger ages are more influenced in their perception of Greece (44% of those under 34), while older ones are less so (17% of those over 55). In fact, 4 out of 10 consider it important (24%) or very important (16%) for Germany to recognize and assume its historical responsibility towards Greece. On the issue of compensation, 37% believe that it has been legally and politically resolved, while 17% support the Greek side, especially the older generation.
Regarding Germany’s handling of the Greek fiscal crisis, 44% of Germans have a very positive or positive opinion, while only 17% expressed a negative opinion and 29% were neutral.
Furthermore, only 33% of Germans support Germany’s support for Greece in relation to the Greek-Turkish disputes, while half (47%) believe that Berlin should maintain a neutral stance.
Only 31% of Greeks have a positive opinion of Germany
Germans seem to have a much more favorable opinion of Greece compared to the Greeks’ opinions of Germany. While 66% of Germans expressed a positive view of our country, a recent survey showed that only 31% of Greeks have a positive view of Germany, although this is an increase from the corresponding figure of 16% in October 2022.
77% of Greeks cite Berlin’s stance on reparations as the main reason for their negative impression of Germany, 83% Germany’s policies in relation to its role during the financial crisis, while three-quarters accuse Berlin of unilaterally siding with Ankara in the Greek-Turkish disputes.
In 2024, Greece attracted a record number of German tourists, exceeding 5.2 million, up 15% compared to 2023. Greece is the third most popular holiday destination choice after Spain and Italy, in absolute visitor numbers, with upward trends in recent years.
