Demand for Cyclades Has Surged Compared to Last Year According to Panadvert’s Latest Analysis

Panadvert conducted a destination analysis based on demand data concerning 8 Cycladic islands in 2023, compared to the same search period last year. Taking into consideration nearly 6,450,000 search queries, the results show that demand is higher than last year in all the destinations analyzed, with some interesting insights presented that could be translated into attractive opportunities for the hospitality industry.

What follows is a comparative analysis of the demand for the islands of Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Milos, Tinos, Syros and Serifos, for the months of the high summer season (May-August) from those that were the most in-demand to those that were the least. These data were generated based on hotel booking searches made during the periods of January 1st until March 12th in 2022 and 2023 (herein referred to as “search period”), respectively. It should also be noted that all if you click the data images you will be able to interact with them.

Key takeaways

• The biggest rise in demand compared to the same search period last year is found in Naxos (+62.6%), followed by Milos (+58.4%) and Paros (+39.3%).
• Mykonos, Santorini, Paros and Milos are more popular with Americans and the former two with also the British, while the rest of the islands that are analyzed – namely Naxos, Tinos, Syros and Serifos – remain more popular with the Greeks.
• Australians have shown a remarkable rise in the number of hotel booking queries compared to last year, perhaps thanks to the easing of the covid-19-related restrictions that were imposed to their country which prevented them from traveling abroad. They seem especially interested in the islands of Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Milos and Tinos – which could constitute an interesting island hopping opportunity – with the month they are most interested in visiting these islands being July.
• Americans are showing a clear preference for visiting the Cycladic islands in June, while the Italians and French have a steady preference for August.
• Greeks show interest in visiting Naxos, Milos, Tinos, Syros and Serifos in August, while June seems to be their month of preference for Santorini and July for Mykonos and Paros.
• June is the most in-demand month for visiting Santorini with May following. 
• July is the most in-demand month for visiting Mykonos, with June following.
• August is the most in-demand month for visiting Naxos, Tinos, Syros, Milos and Serifos, and in the case of Paros, July is following closely by.

Santorini 

The most scenic and instantly recognizable Cycladic island was popular with Americans and British in 2022, who showed the biggest demand for the season, with French, Greeks and Italians completing the Top 5.

When we look at the month breakdown of 2022, it is evident that the USA and the UK favored June, along with Greece, while the Italians insisted on their preference for August, according to our data. This was not the case for the French, however, who were more interested in visiting Santorini in May, with August following closely by.

The data for 2023 show so far that for the same search period, the same 5 countries are occupying the top places in hotel booking searches, with Australia having climbed in the 6th place. The month breakdown in 2023 shows consistency with that of 2022 where June is the most in-demand summer month for Santorini for Americans, British and Greeks alike, while the Italians are steady in their predilection for August. The French, however, reveal that May is the month they are most interested in visiting the island so far, according to our data. 

Our comparative data for the same search period demonstrate that search queries for hotel bookings in Santorini have risen for 7 out of the Top 10 countries – namely, USA, France, Greece, Italy, Australia, Canada and Spain – by approximately 8.81%. A substantial rise is observed in the queries coming from the US, France and Canada, yet the biggest one is definitely coming from Australians who have so far made more than three times the queries they made last year.

Mykonos

In 2022, a similar trend with Santorini was observed as the hotel booking searches for Mykonos were dominated by the Americans, followed closely by the British, with both showing a clear preference for visiting the island in June. Greeks, Germans and Italians concluded the Top 5. The Germans followed in the footsteps of the Americans and the British, since June was also their month of interest, while the Greeks opted for July. The Italians were the only ones to show a preference for August.

The latest data that we possess for the same search period in 2023 so far show the first 4 places occupied by the same countries as in 2022, with the Italians slightly higher than the Greeks, and the French coming in at the 5th place above the Germans. 

The month breakdown shows consistency to that of 2022 so far, since the Americans and the British alike seem more interested to visit the island during June, the Greeks during July and the Italians during August. The new entrants, the French, seem more interested in August, with May battling for the second place.

The numbers for 2023 so far are higher for the same booking period compared to 2022 by 4.52%, with 6 out of 10 countries of the Top 10 – namely, USA, Italy, France, Australia, Canada and Netherlands – showing a higher number of hotel booking searches compared to last year. Australians, in particular, have so far made more than twice the searches than their counterparts last year. The month breakdown is also virtually the same as 2022, with a minor rise in searches for July and August.

Paros

For Paros, the Greeks and the French were the ones searching most intensely in the first three months of the year, followed by the British, the Americans and the Italians. The month breakdown shows that the Greeks and the British were most interested to visit the island in July, with June following closely by in the case of the British. The Americans exhibited a clear preference for June, while August was the undeniable winner for the French and the Italians, since nearly a third of their hotel booking queries in the search period in question were focused on that month.

The data we possess so far for 2023, though, tell a different story; Americans display the most interest in visiting Paros, with June being way higher in their preference than the other months of the season. Greeks are in second place with their eyes set on July, while the French and the Italians show a consistent demand for August. The British conclude the Top 5, with their interest so far being almost equally spread out to all summer months of June, July and August. 

The comparative analysis shows a very positive image for Paros as all the countries included in the Top 10 have increased their hotel booking searches in 2023 compared to the same search period last year by an astonishing 39.3%. The biggest rise is coming from the Americans and Canadians, who have so far doubled their queries compared to 2022, and, once again, the Australians who have made more than six times the search queries they did last year in the same search period.

Naxos

Right in the heart of Cyclades, the demand for Naxos for the established search period was higher for the Greeks, followed closely by the Italians. The Top 5 is concluded by the British, Americans and Germans. 

The month breakdown reveals that August was the most favored month to vacation in Naxos in 2022, with the Greeks and Italians showing the most interest, followed by the British, who also exhibited an interest for July. The Americans were once again most interested in June, while the Germans were mostly set on July. 

The latest 2023 data show so far that Greeks remain the most interested ones in visiting Naxos this summer, with the Italians only a couple of hundred search queries behind. The American queries have risen to the third place, while the British and Germans complete the Top 5 again so far this year. 

The month breakdown shows a consistency with the 2022 one, as the Greeks and Italians hold August in the highest regard, with Italians so far having made the most hotel booking queries for August 2023. The British again exhibit a preference for August followed closely by July, while the Americans and the Germans remain firm in their choice of June as the month they are most interested in visiting the island of Naxos, according to our data.

The comparative analysis has revealed that – like Paros – all the countries in the Top 10 have exhibited an increase in their search queries for hotel bookings for summer 2023, compared to the same search period in 2022 by a staggering 62.6% – the biggest rise in demand witnessed among all the islands analyzed in the present study. The biggest one is once more found in the queries of the Australians, who have made more than four times the number of queries they did in 2022, while the Greeks, Italians and Americans also demonstrate a big increase compared to their counterparts last year for the same search period. 

Milos

Presumably the most romantic island of Greece, Milos, was most intensely searched in terms of hotel bookings by the Greeks in 2022, followed by Italians, Americans, French and British. The month breakdown mirrors that of other islands analyzed, since the Greeks, the Italians and the French showed a definite inclination towards August, with Italians being the ones that searched most intensely for hotel bookings in that month. The Americans and the British, on the other hand, had their eyes set on June.

The image so far this year, however, has shifted completely, according to our data. The Americans have risen in the first place of hotel booking searches, followed by the Italians and leaving the Greeks in the third place, while the Australians have knocked the French off the Top 5 and taken their place.  

The month breakdown for 2023 presents consistency with that of 2022, as the Greeks and even more so the Italians are actively searching for hotel bookings concerning the month of August. The Americans and the British are steady in their preference for June, while the new entrants, the Australians, are opting for July. 

The comparative data are revealing, as a stunning rise in demand of 58.4% for Milos is observed. More specifically, the Americans and the Canadians have more than doubled their hotel booking queries this year. The queries of the Italians, the British, the French, the Germans, the Swiss and the Spanish also show a significant increase. Yet, the Australians are the ones who have shaken up the data completely, since they have made six times more booking queries so far in 2023 compared to the same period last year. 

Tinos

Another island more popular with the Greeks – who dominated the hotel booking searches for the search period we have established in 2022 – is Tinos, with the French, the Italians, the British and the Germans trailing far behind. The month of August was the most preferred for Greeks to vacation in Tinos last year, along with the French and Italians, while the British showed a preference for June and the Germans showed somewhat equal demand for all the summer months. 

Our data for 2023 show so far the same picture, with the Top 5 countries for most demand for Tinos remaining the same. The month breakdown for this summer for the Greeks, the French, the Italians and the Germans is consistent with that of 2022, with the British only showing a slight preference for August this time.

When it comes to the comparative data, a hike is observed in the searches coming from Greece, France, Italy, USA and Australia, while the rest – namely, from the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Netherlands – remain at the levels that they were in the same search period last year. Even so, a rise of 26.8% is observed for the queries for the island this year compared to 2022.

Syros

Syros, the capital of Cyclades, is far more popular with the local population but it does seem to have some foreign fans as well. For the established search period in 2022, the Greeks made twice the hotel booking queries of the second country, which was the UK. The Top 5 was completed by Germany, France and Italy. August was the month of choice for all of them.

The Top 5 for 2023 so far remains the same as the one of 2022 along with the respective month breakdown for the same search period, as August is the most in-demand month for all of the Top 5 countries. 

Compared to the same search period last year, so far, the queries coming from Greeks, French, Germans and Americans have risen, while those of the Italians and Cypriots have practically doubled. In the cases of the British, the Swiss, the Dutch and the Austrians the number of queries mirrors that of 2022. The overall rise in the search queries comes close to 26.4% compared to last year.

Serifos

A more low-key island of the Cyclades, Serifos was a favourite among Greeks in 2022 as they showed the most demand for this Cycladic destination. The Italians, French, British and Germans concluded the Top 5. The month breakdown indicated a consistency in the preference of Greeks and Italians for the month of August along with the French, while the British and Germans showed a somewhat equal preference for June, July and August.

The Top 5 for 2023 so far remains the same, with Greeks leading the way and the Italians following once again. As for the month preferences, the Greeks, Italians and French are consistent in their choice of August as the month they are more interested in visiting Serifos, with the British also joining them this time. Germans, however, are showing a clear preference for June above the rest of the months. 

The comparative data reveal that the Greeks, the French, the British, the Americans and the Canadians have made nearly as many hotel booking queries as last year in the same search period. A significant rise this year is found in the queries of the Italians, the Australians and the Swiss while German queries have more than doubled. Spanish queries, finally, have fallen back compared to the same search period last year. Even so, the overall increase in hotel booking queries comes to +15.2% compared to 2022.

Conclusion

To sum up, compared to the same search period last year, demand for Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos, Tinos, Syros and Serifos is higher in 2023, which sets the tone for the summer season coming and renews hopes that Greek tourism is recovering to its pre-covid levels. It is, thus, crucial for hospitality professionals to take the aforementioned insights into consideration and implement them into the marketing strategies of their properties. With the help of Panadvert’s professional team, which was selected as a Google Premier Partner 2023 for the 8th consecutive year, hospitality businesses can effectively leverage these data to craft targeted campaigns and increase their ROI. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to improve your marketing performance and partner with us to achieve your business goals.

Stay tuned for more destination demand analyses on our blog!