The German market is showing increased activity for Greece during the festive season, with Athens emerging as one of the most popular destinations for Christmas and New Year’s. The latest booking data from Opodo indicates that the capital is at the top of this year’s search trends for holiday getaways, confirming Greece’s continually strengthened position among German travelers.
Athens is steadily entering the list of favorite Christmas destinations for German travelers, as it is among the top 10 most sought-after destinations for the upcoming holiday season, according to airline booking data released by the German travel platform Opodo.
The data shows that the most popular destinations for Germans, based on bookings so far for Christmas (17 to 28 December), are London, Madrid, Bangkok, Istanbul, Barcelona, Lisbon, Palma de Mallorca, Athens, Tunisia and Vienna.
For New Year’s (29 December – 11 January), the most popular destinations in airline bookings are London, Bangkok, Istanbul, Paris, Barcelona, Athens, Vienna, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife and Cape Town.
German travel habits during the holiday season show notable consistency regarding the duration of trips. For the Christmas period, most travelers choose holidays shorter than two weeks, with 46 percent opting for trips of 7–13 days, while a significant 29 percent prefer short breaks of 3–4 days. These percentages remain almost identical to last year (47 percent and 27 percent respectively), confirming the stable demand for medium- and short-duration trips.
For the New Year period, preferences shift slightly toward short getaways: 33 percent of bookings concern trips of 3–4 days, followed by 7–13 day trips at 30 percent. Demand for longer stays is more limited, as trips of 14–20 days represent only 14 percent.
Who chooses Germany for Christmas
At the same time, Germany attracts many international visitors during the holiday season. Its easy accessibility and wide range of offerings make Germany a favorite destination among Europeans for Christmas and New Year.
Germany’s charm during this special time of year stems from a combination of festive atmosphere, traditional Christmas markets, diverse cultural events, and renowned New Year’s Eve celebrations in its major cities.
Demand is particularly strong from Spain, France and Italy. These travelers mainly choose the major cities of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt and D?sseldorf.
During the pre-Christmas period and throughout the holidays, the main countries of origin for air travel to Germany are: Spain (22 percent), France (11 percent), Italy (10 percent), Switzerland (9 percent), United Kingdom (8 percent). The cities with the most visits during this period are Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg and D?sseldorf.
During the New Year period and until the second week of January, Spain, France and Italy remain the primary source markets, with Switzerland and Austria gaining ground this year. More specifically, most visitors come from Spain (17 percent), France (16 percent), Italy (14 percent), Switzerland (11 percent) and Austria (8 percent).
Preferences for urban destinations shift slightly during this period, with Hamburg gaining popularity compared to Christmas. The top cities remain Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt and D?sseldorf.
