The Azores and Northern Greece are recognized as underrated tourist destinations in Europe in 2022.
According to World Travel Market (WTM) London’s 2022 industry report, 14.5% of survey respondents said the Azores were the most underrated destination in the world, with a further 14% citing Northern Greece.
In particular, Portugal’s autonomous region of the Azores attracts travelers with its natural beauty, wildlife and laid-back lifestyle. In July 2022, the number of passengers arriving in the Azores reached the highest level in five years, with a total of 252,483 passengers landing at local airports.
For Northern Greece, 2022 was also marked by an increase in passenger arrivals. Data from WTM London shows that although northern Greece is not as visited as the south of the mainland and other islands, it has a lot to offer.
“Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in the country, has long been a mythical place where the gods of ancient Greece were said to live. Litochoro, known as the City of the Gods, is about 100 km from Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city,” the statement said. WTM London, offering more people to visit this part of Greece.
WTM London highlighted that the Halkidiki peninsula is also a stunning part of Greece.
Top 10 most underrated tourist destinations in Europe:
- Azores Islands, Portugal (14.5%).
- Northern Greece (14%).
- Bulgaria (10%).
- Scotland (10%).
- Estonia (9.5%).
- The Netherlands (9%).
- Sicily, Italy (9%).
- Slovenia (9%).
- Wales (8%).
- Bratislava, Slovakia (7%).
Where to go on vacation in 2023
Earlier, the American financial corporation AMEX named 10 popular tourist destinations that travelers are already booking for 2023.
Before that, the authoritative magazine about geography, nature, culture and travel National Geographic named the top 25 places in the world that should be visited in 2023.
At the same time, in October 2022, the winners of the annual World Travel Awards Europe 2022, which is considered an analogue of the “Oscar” in the field of tourism, were announced. The absolute winner of the ceremony was Portugal, which in total won about 30 awards this year, including in the main category “The best tourist destination in Europe”.