Greece has been named the most popular destination in Europe for beach-passionate travelers this year, according to the 2022 Best Beaches Index published by vacation rentals search engine Holidu.
Based on Google rankings, Holidu’s “Most Popular Countries for Beaches in Europe” listing indicates Greece is in the lead, garnering about 5,400 monthly Google searches and over 142,000 Instagram hashtags on a monthly basis.
The ranking was generated from a study that included all European countries using the average number of monthly searches on Google in the last twelve months. The algorithm used included each of the country names combined with the keyword “beaches,” the Instagram hashtags for this keyword, and its variations.
Reflecting on the generated index, Holidu said, “Make sure Greece is at the top of your list this year, as you won’t want to miss out.”
According to Holidu, Crete, Naxos, and Mykonos are the top picks for travelers planning trips to Greece, seeking beaches, and searching for information on Google.
Greece’s clean beaches attract travelers
Greek beaches are among the world’s cleanest with a total of 581 beaches in Greece awarded the prestigious Blue Flag quality certification award for 2022, which puts the country in second place among forty-nine countries.
The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognized voluntary eco-labels, awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.
The Halkidiki Peninsula in northern Greece, renowned for its golden sand and turquoise waters, received most of the awards, earning ninety-six blue flags for its beaches. Attica, Crete, and Rhodes follow.
According to data recently released in June 2022 by the European Environment Agency (EEA), 95.8 percent of the swimming waters in Greece are of excellent quality, meaning that the country ranks third for the best beaches, lakes, and rivers in all of Europe and ranks well above the European average.
Around 1,500 beaches along Greece’s famously extensive shoreline were subjected to rigorous analysis during the EEA’s research.
Other countries on the Top Pick chart for beach-seeking travelers
Besides Greece, second in line is Italy with approximately 5,400 Google searches per month and over 71,000 Instagram hashtags followed by Portugal with about 3,600 monthly Google searches and approximately 61,000 Instagram hashtags.
Greece is also ranked second after Spain, which was ranked sixth in Holidu’s “Most Popular Countries for Beaches in Europe” listing with about 8,100 Google searches per month and over 29,900 Instagram hashtags.
Other countries listed on the Top 5 list are France with about 3,600 Google searches per month and over 42,000 Instagram hashtags and Ireland with about 880 monthly Google searches and more than 42,000 Instagram hashtags.
In general, the quality and cleanliness of swimming waters in Europe have increased in recent years, with 85 percent of all swimming waters receiving an “excellent” rating.
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