The formulation of a “White Paper” for the transformation of Greek tourism for the period 2030–2035 was announced today by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, signalling a new strategy that will serve as the country’s “roadmap” for the new era of the sector. The White Paper is expected to be presented in the first half of 2026, in parallel with the European strategy for tourism.
As the Prime Minister noted, his ambition is for the country to become the world’s top tourist destination, marking the sector’s entry into a new phase of strategic advancement.
Speaking at an event of the Ministry of Tourism titled “Tourism is changing, Greece leads,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that the new framework, combined with the Special Spatial Framework for Tourism currently in its final consultation phase and the launch of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), “will essentially clarify the landscape for Greek tourism.” It will offer, he said, visibility to entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals, with clear priorities and goals for the spatial and temporal distribution of tourism development, sustainability, and new investments.
Regarding the Special Spatial Framework for Tourism, he stressed that “it must and will be drafted in consultation with tourism stakeholders, who know much better than we do both the opportunities and the challenges emerging today for Greek tourism.”
The discussion on overtourism
Responding to concerns about overtourism, the Prime Minister stated that Greece is “far from” the levels of other destinations, yet acknowledged the congestion recorded in certain islands during peak season.
The central solution lies in:
better flow management,
extending the tourism season,
promoting lesser-known areas and the role of DMOs, which, as he said, will be a key tool for local management strategies.
He made special reference to mountain tourism, which he described as a new strategic marketing pillar of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO).
The Tzitzikostas message: Greece among the five leading European destinations
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas highlighted the country’s impressive progress, noting that Greece is now among the five most popular destinations in Europe and the top ten globally. The data confirms, he said, this momentum: 20 billion euros in revenue, more than 400,000 jobs, and 123 million overnight stays.
At the same time, he noted that 2024 was a historic year for European tourism, with 3 billion overnight stays and 780 million visitors. In this context, Greece plays a decisive role in shaping the first common European strategy for tourism for the next decade.
He emphasized the importance of transportation, which he called a cornerstone of competitive and modern tourism. As he said, in early 2026 a new unified ticketing system for different modes and countries will be presented, while the new European legislation on passenger rights is also progressing. Beyond the numbers, he stressed that the soul of the sector remains the people of hospitality, those who “make the traveler feel like a guest and not a customer.”
The Kefalogianni priorities: Quality development, new infrastructure, and sustainability
For her part, Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni highlighted the strong performance of the first nine months of 2025, according to data from the Bank of Greece. Revenues reached 20 billion euros, marking a 9% increase in receipts and a 4% increase in arrivals compared to 2024. For the previous year, she recalled that the country welcomed more than 40 million visitors with revenues of 21.6 billion euros.
The minister emphasized that these results are not accidental but the outcome of strategic planning, modern policy, and targeted interventions for quality and sustainable development across Greece on a year-round basis. She focused on infrastructure modernization, upgrading tourism education, establishing new products such as glamping, the new environmental hotel classification system, and short-term rental regulations.
She stressed that spatial planning is a critical priority, with the new special spatial framework in its final stage, while the creation of DMMOs introduces a modern governance model based on cooperation between the state, local authorities, and the private sector.
In closing, Olga Kefalogianni underlined that the next day of Greek tourism will be determined by the resilience of destinations in the face of the climate crisis. The government, she said, is systematically investing in infrastructure, transportation, sustainability, and above all, people. With this triptych – strategy, infrastructure, people – the event at the Acropolis Museum highlighted the new chapter of Greek tourism, with Greece actively claiming a leading role in the global market.
