Attica, the Cyclades and Crete are the top search terms across the year when it comes to Greece, according to Google, which gathered data on Greek tourism from user searches all over the world.

What do people look for before or during a trip to Greece?

“It is important for travel professionals to know who their potential customers are and accordingly shape their strategy,” says Maria Founta, director of marketing for Google. “Information through the free tools offered by Google’s platforms – such as Google Trends and the Consumer barometer – about what visitors are searching for in each location, can be used to enhance the competitiveness of their products and services.”

For Greece, the most interest comes from the British, followed by the Germans, Italians and Americans. The top searches concern accommodation, air travel and holiday packages. As Ms Founta points out,  searches have increased compared to last year, which paints an optimistic picture for the summer.

“A very interesting fact is that searches are made ​​throughout the year and not just in the three summer months. This shows that there is considerable scope to extend the tourist season by drawing attention to other forms of tourism.”

The searches concern all tourist areas of the country, from Macedonia to Crete and the Dodecanese to the Ionian islands. Tourists from the US, Britain and France mostly search for Attica day trips, hiking trails and tours in Athens. The percentage of searches is high throughout the year and peak  in the summer months.

For the Cyclades, searches are carried out mainly by tourists from Italy, Britain and the United States with almost 60 percent searching for accommodation, holiday packages, air transport and local products. Activities and things to do are the main search terms for Mykonos and Santorini visitors, while tourists also often ask Google for transportation to and from the airport of Mykonos. The visitors to this region are last minute customers, since searches are low up to May and spike in the months leading up to the end of September.

Regarding Crete, the British take the lead by far, followed by the Germans and the French. The top searches are for activities in Chania, Iraklio and Malia, and transportation to and from the airports. Searches start in January, with a slight decline in February and continue upwards until August with a sharp decline in September.

Searches concerning the Peloponnese are mainly carried out by the Germans, followed by the Italians, the British and Americans. Searches for  activities in Kalamata, Nafplion and Katakolon stretch from January until  August. The focus is on accommodation (43 percent), transfers to and from the region (30 percent) and holiday packages in the region (14 percent).

Tourists from Germany, Britain and Italy are the most interested in the Dodecanese, with searches related to accommodation at 47 percent, ahead of family holidays at32 percent and air transport at12 percent. The top search all through the year for activities in the region is the Faliraki water park, followed by activities in Kos and Rhodes, and day trips.

Travelers from Britain, Germany and East European countries search for Ionian family holiday packages and accommodation, while those arriving in the area search for information on the marine park in Zakynthos.

Germany, Russia and Italy lead the searches for Macedonia from January to September. General searches include transfer to and from Macedonia airport, day trips to Meteora, Kavala and hiking trails.