Tourism in Greece

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni received the new ambassador of Japan, Koichi Ito, on Thursday.

During the meeting, they discussed the promotion of bilateral tourism cooperation, as well as the events in the field of tourism, planned on both sides, within the framework of Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism 2024.

A 61-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after being crushed by a tractor for unknown reasons while working in his field in the Malades area of Heraklion, Crete, on Friday.

He was immediately transported to the Venizeleio Hospital of Heraklion with severe injuries.

Despite medical efforts, approximately 24 hours after the accident, he passed away.

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni showcased Greece's and the Ministry of Tourism's initiatives to advance the agenda of sustainable tourism development during an informal gathering of EU tourism ministers in Belgium on Tuesday. The central focus of the discussion revolved around ensuring the resilience of the tourism ecosystem.

The year has started with the best of prospects as regards arrivals from Ireland, after a strong increase (+33%) of air arrivals from Dublin in the first nine months of 2023, versus the same period in 2022.

The islands of Mykonos and Santorini, historically the flagships of Greek tourism, are now paying the price for their overexploitation, without the upgrading of their key infrastructures, in order to manage the large number of visitors.

The Greek National Tourism Organization's (GNTO) campaign for the next tourism season is in full progress, with GNTO General Secretary Dimitris Fragakis meeting with Emirates executives, one of the largest airlines in the world.

The European Travel Commission's (ETC) annual Market Intelligence Group (MIG) and Marketing Group conference is to take place in Athens for the first time on February 7-9, following an initiative of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO). 

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni is to visit Istanbul on Monday. During her three-day stay, the minister will meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, visit the new Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) offices and have contacts with businesspeople and tourism-sector organizations, such as the Turkey Travel Agencies Association (TURSAB).

Adapting to the modern needs of tourism and innovation are the main characteristics of the Tourism Ministry's planning, Minister Olga Kefalogianni said at the first meeting of the board of directors of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) for 2024.

The direct contribution of tourism to Greece's GDP is estimated to be close to 24 billion euros, or 11.5% in 2022, with five regions representing almost 90% of the country's receipts, three of which are purely tourist regions.