The Azores and Northern Greece have made it into the top-10 list of ‘most underrated destinations’ – as voted for by top executives in the travel industry.

WTM London’s 2022 Industry Report reveals 14.5% of respondents said the Azores was the most underrated destination in the world, while 14% opted for Northern Greece.

The Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic, which is growing in popularity thanks to its laid-back lifestyle, natural beauty including volcanoes and national parks, as well as wildlife such as whale and dolphin watching.

In July 2022, the number of passengers arriving in the Azores hit its highest level in five years, with 252,483 passengers landing at the region’s airports*. 

Greece also has had a good year, seeing a big resurgence in visitors during summer 2022.

Yet, although Northern Greece is less-visited than the south of the mainland and the ever-popular Greek 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.

The Halkidiki Peninsula is a stunning part of Greece, with its ‘three fingers,’ which extend from the mainland out into the Aegean Sea, while Northern Greece as a whole is rich with heavy influences found throughout from its Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman past.

World Travel Market London Exhibition Director, Juliette Losardo, said:
“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.”

The top-10 most underrated destinations according to the survey are:

Azores (14.5%)
Northern Greece (14%)
Bulgaria (10%)
Scotland (10%)
Estonia (9.5%)
Netherlands (9%)
Sicily (9%)
Slovenia (9%)
Wales (8%)
Bratislava (7%) 

*https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2022-08-10/azores-passenger-numbers-at-five-year-high/69338>