A significant decline in Greece’s online reputation is recorded by the new analysis of INSETE for the period July – September 2025, as a series of intense weather and natural phenomena shaped a negative climate in the online environment. At the same time, however, the overall assessment of the travel experience in the country remains at extremely high levels, confirming the international competitiveness of Greek tourism.
Deep pressure on the Net Sentiment Index due to natural phenomena
In the third quarter of 2025, Greece and especially Athens found themselves in the last positions of the Net Sentiment Index (NSI) among competitive destinations. The combination of fires in Crete and the Peloponnese, earthquakes, interruptions to coastal ferry routes due to winds, and floods in Kefalonia and Zakynthos, led to a significant increase in negative reports.
Thus, the NSI for Greece fell to 15 and for Athens to 16, while Croatia was at 59, Portugal at 37, Italy at 36 and Spain at 20. However, with the de-escalation of the phenomena in September, the picture improved significantly: the index recovered to 34 for Greece and 37 for Athens, approaching the performance of Italy (40) and surpassing Portugal (18) and Spain (31). Croatia maintained the top spot with 62.
Culture, hospitality and gastronomy pillars of the positive image
Despite the negative situation, the content of online discussions shows that Greece continues to strengthen its brand through thematic axes of high value for travelers.
- Culture: With 33,089 mentions and an NSI of 86, it was the strongest positive factor.
- Hospitality and gastronomy scored very high scores (85 and 77 respectively), confirming the sectors in which Greece traditionally excels.
The most popular stories included visits to the Acropolis and the lived experience of Athens, the monasteries of Meteora, the natural beauty of Astypalaia and Kefalonia, as well as authentic activities such as olive harvesting in the Peloponnese, wine tasting in Santorini, hiking in Rouvas Gorge and observing sea turtles in Zakynthos.
The environment remains the “weak link”
The discussions with a negative impact on reputation focused mainly on environmental and natural phenomena, garnering 10,633 mentions and the lowest NSI (55). Fires, heat waves that led to the closure of the Acropolis and cancellations of routes due to winds reinforced the negative climate, while tensions between Israeli visitors and locals added additional pressure.
According to TCI Research, the increasing frequency of extreme events highlights the need for investments in resilient infrastructure, energy upgrades and better shielding of destinations.
Extremely high experience satisfaction – Consistently top in Europe
Despite the challenges, overall experience satisfaction in Greece remains at very high levels:
Average score: 9.1, compared to the European average of 8.7.
Higher than Croatia (9.0), Portugal (8.8), Italy (8.8) and Spain (8.7).
In the third quarter, almost 319,000 reviews were recorded, with monthly scores between 9.0 and 9.1.
Regional Performance: Opportunities and Challenges
Most Regions are above 9.0, with the top performers being:
- Western Macedonia (9.6)
- Western Greece (9.4)
- Thessaly (9.4)
- Attica and Epirus (9.2)
It is noteworthy that less touristically developed Regions, such as Western Macedonia and Western Greece, record excellent performance, opening up prospects for geographical expansion of tourism activity.
By thematic experience category:
- Culture: Champions Thessaly and Western Greece (9.5)
- Sea: Peloponnese & Epirus (9.4), low North Aegean (8.2)
- Gastronomy: Western Greece (9.3), Ionian & Crete (9.2)
- Hospitality: Ionian Islands (9.6), high performance in Thessaly-Attica
- Value for money: Western Macedonia at 10.0
- Sustainability: Wide variation – from 10.0 in Western Macedonia to 7.3 in Thessaly
- Hygiene: Best performance in Western Greece (9.3) and North Aegean (8.7), low in Ionian
The low environmental certification of Greek hotels is now emerging as a key issue, especially for the new generation of travelers who place importance on sustainability.
Major markets give vote of confidence to Greece
The markets with the largest contribution to tourism revenue rated the experience as follows:
- USA: 9.4
- UK: 9.0
- Germany: 8.7
- France: 8.5
- Italy: 8.4
The high score across all major markets highlights the country’s continued momentum and its ability to deliver experiences that meet the expectations of international travelers, even in challenging times.
