Athens named Europe’s Leading City Break Destination

Athens has earned one of the most important distinctions in tourism. The Greek capital was named Europe's Leading City Break Destination at the World Travel Awards 2024.

Athens was selected from a strong list of destinations: Amsterdam, Venice, Berlin, Geneva, Dublin, Copenhagen, Lisbon, London, Paris, Porto, and Rome. 

The distinction emphasizes the long-term strategy and efforts of the City of Athens over the last decade to develop sustainable tourism through the management and promotion of the city as a competitive city break destination. 

In 2023, Athens saw an increase in the number of international visitors arriving in every month and set a new annual record by welcoming more than 7 million visitors throughout the year. The statistics show the value of boosting Athens as a city break destination that can attract visitors during every season.

This is Athens, the city’s official visitors guide, plays an important role in these efforts by raising awareness of the city’s 129 neighbourhoods and quality of life during the fall, winter and spring months.

The World Travel Awards ceremony took place in Berlin where members of the This is Athens team are also participating in ITB Berlin, one of the leading tourism exhibitions in Europe, with a dedicated space in the Greece Pavilion.

This is the second time that Athens has been recognized as Europe’s Leading City Break Destination - the first win came in 2018. In addition to being recognized as the top city break destination in Europe, Athens was nominated in five other categories: Europe’s Leading Cultural City Destination, Meeting and Conference Destination, Leading Cruise Destination, Leading Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Acropolis was nominated as the Leading Tourist Attraction.

The award was accepted on Wednesday, 6th March by the CEO of the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency (ADDMA), Ioannis Georgizas. 

“We are proud of this important distinction that places our city on the map of the best city break destinations in Europe. Athens is a lively and welcoming city that is always inventing new reasons for weekend getaways. We have a rich cultural heritage as well as sunny days. Athens is full of museums, contemporary culture, gastronomy, and neighbourhoods full of authentic experiences. Our work at ADDMA, the agency that operates This is Athens, is about improving the quality of tourism through our support for sustainable tourism, and ensuring that tourism is a boost to the quality of life of Athenians,” Georgizas said.