Tourism direct GVA (2024) | Tourism direct employment (2024) | Travel exports (2024) |
|---|---|---|
7.3% of total GVA (up 0.3 percentage points since 2023) | 14.4% of total employment (up 0.6 percentage points since 2023) | 42% of total service exports (equal to levels in 2023) |
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
National tourism strategy: Annual Action Plan 2026, Marketing Strategy 2025-2028
National tourism administration: Ministry of Tourism
National tourism budget: EUR 162.6 million (2025)
Key tourism policy priorities and actions:
Co-ordinating the sustainable management of tourism destinations – Incentivising the use of an established governance framework in Destination Management and Marketing Organisations to drive optimal destination management.
Diversifying the tourism offer – Building on the existing tourism product portfolio, including health and wellness tourism, maritime tourism, mountain tourism, gastronomy and agritourism, to increase the quality of services, competitiveness and resilience of the sector.
Improving the evidence base for tourism – Setting up a National Observatory for Sustainable Tourism Development in Greece and implementing a consistent Tourism Satellite Account to better track tourism performance.
Tourism is vital to the Greek economy. The sector directly contributed EUR 15.1 billion to the economy in 2024, equivalent to 7.3% of total GVA. Tourism directly employed 613 900 people, or approximately 14.4% of the total Greek workforce.
International tourism accounted for 27.4 million arrivals in accommodation establishments in 2024, a 4.2% increase compared to 2023. These international visitors spent 128.2 million nights, accounting for 83.8% of all nights. In 2024, travel receipts totalled EUR 21.6 billion, up 4.9% in current prices compared with 2023. The top source markets for overnight tourists were Germany (13%) the United Kingdom (11%) and Bulgaria (7%). Arrivals from Germany (5.4 million) increased 13.4% compared to 2023. It is estimated that international tourist arrivals to Greece increased by 1.8% in 2025.
Domestic tourism continues to grow in Greece. In 2024, 9.8 million overnight domestic tourists were recorded in accommodation establishments (2.8% above 2023), accounting for 16.2% of total nights.
The Ministry of Tourism is responsible for Greece’s tourism policy, international marketing strategy, legislative reform, tourism planning and national government co-operation. The Ministry also implements tourism education and training programmes to improve the quality and competitiveness of Greek tourism. The Co-ordination Service of the Ministry of Tourism monitors the implementation of the Annual Action Plan for tourism, which consists of the major legal/regulatory reforms and investments that promote the strategic aims of the Ministry.
The Greek National Tourism Organisation implements Greece’s marketing strategy and operates a network of offices overseas. The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, supervised by the Ministry of Tourism, is the Government’s statutory advisor on tourism accommodation and the competent authority responsible for the official classification of main tourist accommodation. The Greek Tourism Confederation is the official body of the tourism private sector. It is actively involved in public dialogue and collaborates with State and regional authorities, to promote and facilitate investment opportunities and ensure the business competitiveness of the sector.
The Ministry of Tourism operates 14 Regional Tourist Offices responsible for licensing and quality control of tourism services and imposing administrative sanctions on tourism businesses. Local administrations (regions and municipalities) develop and implement programmes and activities for tourism development and promotion in the areas under their jurisdiction. All promotional activity is aligned with the national tourism promotion strategy. Compliant to Law 4875/2021, as amended and currently in force, Destination Marketing and Management Organisations can be created in Regions and Municipalities. Tourism promotion lies within the scope of their responsibilities, in co-operation with the Ministry and in accordance with the national tourism promotion strategy. Furthermore, and within the framework of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Ministry of Tourism has proceeded to the creation of 19 local Management Destination Offices in regions and municipalities of Greece.
The budget for the Ministry of Tourism in Greece in 2025 was EUR 162.6 million. In 2025, the Greek National Tourism Organisation was granted EUR 15.8 million of this overall standard budget, supplemented by another EUR 14 million from the public investments programme. In 2024, this was EUR 13.2 million and EUR 17 million.
Source: OECD, adapted from the Ministry of Tourism, 2026.
Tourism in Greece has been guided by annual action plans since 2020. The annual action plans focus on addressing what are considered to be the top three challenges to enhancing tourism resilience in Greece and leveraging opportunities from the green and digital transitions: (i) managing tourist flows and seasonality in flagship destinations, (ii) developing national tourism products, (iii) upgrading and modernising tourism education and training, and attracting and retaining the tourism workforce (see box below). The Annual Action Plan 2026 includes both short- and long-term programmes to enhance the competitiveness of the national tourism product, support investment, advance tourism education and training, and co-ordinate communication to promote the image of Greece abroad.
Greece considers destination management as the co-ordinated management of all aspects of a destination including its values, attractions, the people, infrastructure, access and marketing. To improve Destination Management and Marketing Organisation efficiency, Greece collaborated with the OECD within the context of the EU’s Technical Support Instrument Tourism Flagship project, and with the support of the European Commission (SG REFORM), to understand possible legislative reforms and administrative initiatives. It has adopted the recommendation to form a Special Tourism Committee to reinforce co-operation among public and private sector stakeholders. Along the same lines, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Environment and Energy signed the 13983/15.07.2025 Joint Ministerial Decision to specify the criteria for the Model Tourism Destinations of Integrated Management.
In 2025, the Ministry of Tourism continued to implement targeted strategies to enhance the development and promotion of special forms of tourism. Within the broader national tourism policy, particular emphasis is placed on diversifying the tourism product and extending the tourist season, through the support and structured development of health and wellness (thermal) tourism, maritime/fishing tourism, gastronomy and agritourism, mountain tourism and domestic tourism. In addition, the Ministry of Tourism presented a comprehensive study that establishes the basis for a unified and inclusive national brand for agritourism and gastronomy. The project outlines strategic actions, quality standards, and digital tools that promote sustainable development, support regional communities, and enhance the visitor experience. As part of this effort, Greece’s first National Thematic DMO, which is set to be completed in 2026, will focus on agritourism and gastronomy, linking local production with tourism and showcasing the authentic products, services, and experiences that make Greece unique.
To improve and better market the quality of tourism destinations and products, Greece has relied on quality labels. Existing quality labels have generally targeted the agritourism sector, focusing on, for example, wineries, breweries, olive mills, and cheese factories open to the public. New quality labels have been developed, such as “Accessible Tourism Destination" and "Accessible Tourism Enterprise", with the aim of promoting accessible tourism in Greece through the implementation of accessibility standards. Another quality label being developed is for ‘Pet Friendly Tourist Accommodation’.
To improve tourism data and enable data-driven decisions and policymaking, Greece is working to compile the TSA. An EU-funded project for the compilation of Tables 1-7 was completed in April 2026, and work undertaken with the OECD and SG REFORM to compile the more complex Tables 8-10, was completed in mid-2025. This work was delivered with an action plan to strengthen tourism statistics and the TSA and provided guidance for the development of relevant indicators to measure and monitor tourism sustainability at regional and national levels. Greece is working to set up the National and Regional Observatories for Sustainable Tourism Development, which aims to highlight the comparative advantages of each tourism destination while ensuring environmental protection and cultural preservation. The observatories will collect and analyse data based on sustainability indicators at the national and local levels and promote evidence-based planning and development.
The “Tourism for All” programme, implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, continues as a targeted social policy measure to support domestic tourism and ensure equal access to travel opportunities for all citizens. The programme provides financial subsidies in the form of digital vouchers to eligible Greek residents to subsidise tourist accommodation. The scheme particularly aims to stimulate off-season domestic travel, promote lesser-known destinations, and strengthen local economies, while contributing to social inclusion.
To address accommodation competitiveness in relation to short term rentals, the law ‘New Quality, Safety, and Environmental Standards for Tourism and Rentals in Greece’ establishes standards for short-term accommodation rentals (e.g. insurance, lighting, safety equipment, hygiene), streamlines tourism business licensing and reinforces tourism infrastructure oversight.
The 2026 Annual Action Plan includes the following priorities: upgrading and modernising the framework for tourism education, considering the changing needs for sustainable tourism, and training as well as upskilling and reskilling the tourism workforce.
The Ministry of Tourism operates 13 educational units across the country: the Higher Schools of Tourism Education, the Schools of Advanced Vocational Training, and the Tourist Guide Schools. In addition, it annually implements Continuous Vocational Programs for professionals in the tourism sector, and in 2025 it carried out a reskilling and upskilling programme. In co-operation with national universities, the Ministry conducts intensive two-month training programmes for graduates of history and archaeology departments to expand the Registry of licensed tour guides.
The Ministry has worked to modernise the curricula offered in its educational units, introducing new and contemporary thematic areas such as sustainable tourism development, digital skills and more. At the same time, it offers its students seminars that complement the framework of tourism education provided, covering topics such as catering for individuals on the autism spectrum, for persons with disabilities, knowledge of first aid provision, combating workplace mobbing, and more.
To further upgrade the quality of studies, the Ministry seeks to enhance its visibility via establishing international bonds of co-operation through memoranda of understanding with well acknowledged schools and reputable tourism organisations.
Lastly, in response to the evolving needs of the tourism sector, the Ministry implemented a distance-learning training programme in 2025, funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, with the aim to upskill and reskill both employees in the tourism sector and unemployed individuals. The initiative was particularly effective due to its asynchronous delivery model, achieving the participation and certification of 18 090 beneficiaries.
By removing the constraints of time and place, the programme ensured access to quality training even in remote islands, mountainous villages, and lesser-developed regions. It combined knowledge with opportunity, two key ingredients for a more equitable tourism landscape. The curriculum included core specialties, such as reception services and culinary/pastry arts, but also focused on the development of horizontal skills, such as digital competencies, health and safety at work, English terminology etc., providing participants with the tools they need to thrive in a competitive and increasingly demanding tourism economy.