ATHENS – In what looks to be a record-busting tourism year during the waning COVID-19 pandemic, foreign visitors are showing Big Likes for Athens and Greece in surveys showing they are satisfied, even with stinging purple jellyfish.

That was shown, said GTP Headlines, in a tracker from INSETE, the research body of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), in collaboration with TCI Research monitoring visitor sentiments.

Athens – which has become a buzz city after being shunned for decades – joined with the rest of the country in being praised for food, culture, nature offerings and accommodations despite some lagging infrastructure.

INSETE analysts said the ratings are expected to get even better with people flocking to islands, beaches, archaeological sites and other attractions that could bring in more than the record 33 million arrivals in 2019.

The report assessed ata about Greece and Athens compared to rival destinations such as Italy, Spain and Portugal and showed that there’s been no drop-off in popularity and that it has surpassed those major competitors.