Foreign visitors grade Athens
Tourists express what they liked and what concerned them on their visit to the Greek capital
Athens’ foreign visitors belong to many different “tribes,” based on their different interests and not their nationalities, forming an interesting sum, which however expresses not only its satisfaction with their stay, but also some concerns.
Although in general the degree of satisfaction is among the highest compared to rival cities in the Mediterranean, issues of safety, cleanliness of infrastructure, but also the relationship between prices and value clearly emerge from the satisfaction survey carried out by the Athens-Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association every year.
There are travelers who come to the capital to visit its archaeological sites and museums, others who love the sea, some whose main pursuit is tasting the cuisine, as well as others who are interested in investing in real estate.
Many come for the nightlife and others are just travelers passing through from abroad to other Greek destinations. Many are on business trips, while others are here for theater and other artistic events. A total of 83% of leisure travelers visit the Acropolis, while 56% choose Athens for its archaeological sites and cultural interest.
Yet there are also many, namely 39% of the capital’s visitors, who state that they choose to travel to Athens because it is a must-see destination; 23% of visitors to the city go to a concert or music event or festival; three out of 10 take part in bus tours and two out of 10 take part in organized walks; one in 10 take part in organized architecture tours, while two in 10 visit shopping malls.
Surprisingly, four in 10 do not consider sustainability issues when planning their trip, while another three in 10 choose environmentally friendly alternatives only if they do not make their trip difficult.
While the average score for hotel facilities is 8.8, the value-for-money rating is lower, at 8.4. On safety Athens scores 7.4 out of 10, while accessibility scores just 6.6 out of 10. Even worse is the score for public cleanliness, which stands at 6.4. The situation in squares and sidewalks is rated 6.9. In contrast, the degree of satisfaction for the city’s broader culture is rated 9.1 out of 10.
