The Azores and Northern Greece have been ranked as the top two most underrated destinations, World Travel Market (WTM) London has revealed.
According to WTM London, its 2022 Industry Report has revealed that 14.5 per cent of the respondent who took part in the study said that the Azores was the most underrated destination in the world and another 14 per cent said that Northern Greece was the most underrated destination, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“The Azores, with its natural beauty and commitment to sustainability, and Northern Greece, with some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes and historical settings, rightly take their places at the top of the list of the most underrated destinations in the world,” World Travel Market London Exhibition Director, Juliette Losardo, stated.
The Azores, which is an autonomous region of Portugal, has been popular among travellers due to its natural beauty, wildlife, and laid-back lifestyle. In July 2022, the number of passengers that arrived in the Azores hit the highest level in five years. A total of 252,483 passengers landed at the region’s airports.
Similarly, Greece also had a good year, seeing a high number of arrivals during the summer of 2022. Data from WTM London show that even though Northern Greece is not as visited as the south of the mainland and other islands, it has much to offer.
“Mount Olympus, the country’s highest mountain has long been a mythical place, where the Gods of Ancient Greece were said to reside. Litochoro, known as the City of the Gods, is about 100km away from Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city,” WTM London said, suggesting that more people should visit this part of Greece.
WTM London further highlighted that the Halkidiki Peninsula is also a stunning part of Greece and stressed that Northern Greece as a whole is rich with heavy influences found throughout its Roman, Byzantine, as well as Ottoman past.
Apart from the Azores and Northern Greece, the WTM London’s 2022 Industry report has listed another eight underrated destinations.
According to the survey, the list of the top ten most underrated destinations also includes Bulgaria (ten per cent), Scotland (ten per cent), Estonia (9.5 per cent), the Netherlands (nine per cent), Sicily (nine per cent), Slovenia (nine per cent), Wales (eight per cent), and Bratislava (seven per cent).
Previously, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that despite increasing inflation and the war in Ukraine, the number of international tourists who visited Greece this year continued to remain high. Data provided by the Bank of Greece show that from January to late August, a total of 19.12 million international tourists reached Greece.
