Greece Paves the Way for Responsible Tourism with New Strategy Emphasizing Cultural Depth, Sustainable Practices and Equitable Regional Growth

Published on November 28, 2025

Greece has officially launched a transformative tourism strategy aimed at redefining the country’s position on the global travel stage. The unveiling of the strategy took place at the iconic Acropolis Museum, a fitting location for a vision that seeks to blend modern tourism demands with the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty for which Greece is renowned. The strategy, titled “Tourism is Changing – Greece is Leading the Way,” represents a strategic shift towards sustainable tourism, authentic cultural experiences, and the inclusive growth of the sector.

With the global travel landscape undergoing rapid transformation, Greece’s new plan takes a proactive approach to both the opportunities and challenges of tourism in the 21st century. The initiative aims to elevate Greece as a global leader in responsible tourism, focusing on cultural preservation, sustainable practices, and ensuring the benefits of tourism are shared across all regions and communities in the country.

The Pillars of Greece’s New Tourism Vision

At the core of Greece’s new tourism strategy lies a commitment to balancing growth with sustainability, creating a tourism model that meets the demands of modern travelers while protecting the country’s environmental and cultural assets. By emphasizing authenticity, Greece intends to appeal to the growing number of travelers who seek meaningful, experience-driven journeys. Several key components of the strategy include:

• Year-Round Tourism Promotion: Traditionally, Greece has seen the majority of its visitors during the summer months, but the new plan seeks to extend the tourist season throughout the entire year. By promoting off-season activities like winter sports, wellness tourism, cultural festivals, and culinary experiences, the strategy aims to reduce seasonal congestion and distribute visitors more evenly across the country.
• Development of Niche Tourism Markets: In response to the demand for more personalized travel experiences, Greece plans to expand into special interest tourism. These offerings will cater to niche markets such as cultural heritage tourism, eco-tourism, adventure travel, and gastronomic tourism. By diversifying the tourism portfolio, Greece hopes to attract travelers seeking immersive, unique, and educational experiences.
• Strengthening Education and Professional Training: Ensuring the long-term success of the tourism industry requires an educated and skilled workforce. As part of the strategy, Greece will invest in enhanced tourism training and education to equip industry professionals with the skills necessary to meet the evolving needs of travelers and ensure high service standards across the sector.
• Regulation of Short-Term Rentals: The rise of short-term rental platforms like Airbnb has presented challenges for traditional hospitality businesses, particularly in popular destinations. To level the playing field, Greece is introducing a regulatory framework for short-term rentals, ensuring that these platforms align with local tourism policies and contribute to the overall sustainability of the sector.
• Promoting Sustainable Hospitality Practices: As part of its sustainability efforts, Greece is introducing a certification system for hotels and other accommodation providers who meet eco-friendly standards. This initiative will encourage businesses to adopt more sustainable practices, from energy-efficient operations to waste reduction, and contribute to the country’s broader environmental goals.
• Streamlining Investment in Tourism Infrastructure: Greece is making efforts to simplify and expedite investment procedures to attract both domestic and international investors to the tourism sector. By removing bureaucratic barriers, the country hopes to foster innovation, encourage new ventures, and expand tourism infrastructure, particularly in underdeveloped regions.

Strengthening Greece’s Global Tourism Position

This new strategy builds on Greece’s reputation as one of Europe’s most popular and reliable tourist destinations. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Greece’s swift and safe reopening helped reaffirm its standing on the global travel map. In 2024, Greece welcomed a record 40 million visitors, generating a staggering €21.6 billion in tourism revenue. The success of Greece’s pandemic recovery provides a strong foundation for the new strategy and highlights the country’s resilience in times of crisis.

Looking forward, Greece plans to align its efforts with the European Union’s upcoming 10-year tourism strategy, which will be unveiled in 2026. The EU strategy focuses on creating a cohesive tourism framework that addresses key challenges such as sustainability, overtourism, and cross-border mobility. Greece, as a leading player in the development of this strategy, will continue to contribute to shaping the future of European tourism.

Combating Overtourism and Encouraging Regional Development

One of the most significant challenges that Greece faces in its tourism sector is overtourism, especially in iconic destinations like Santorini and Mykonos. While these areas draw millions of visitors annually, the concentration of tourists can lead to overcrowding, environmental degradation, and diminished quality of life for locals. The new strategy aims to mitigate these issues by promoting lesser-known destinations and encouraging the redistribution of tourists across the country.

Greece plans to promote regional tourism by highlighting the unique offerings of lesser-visited islands, villages, and rural areas. This approach not only alleviates pressure on popular spots but also ensures that the economic benefits of tourism are spread more evenly, benefiting a wider range of communities and local businesses.

A Comprehensive, Long-Term Approach to Tourism Growth

Greece’s new tourism strategy is part of a broader, long-term vision for the country’s tourism sector. A five-year national tourism plan is expected to be launched in 2026, aligning with the EU’s broader tourism goals. This plan will focus on key areas such as infrastructure development, sustainable growth, and improving Greece’s global competitiveness as a tourist destination.

Tourism is one of Greece’s most important industries, accounting for nearly 10% of the national workforce and driving economic growth across various sectors. As the government rolls out this new strategy, the goal is not just to grow the tourism industry but to make it more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive for the future. By embracing innovation, promoting cultural heritage, and adopting responsible practices, Greece is positioning itself as a global leader in the future of tourism.

Through this comprehensive approach, Greece aims to offer travelers enriching and authentic experiences while ensuring that the benefits of tourism are widely shared and that the country’s natural and cultural heritage is preserved for generations to come. The new tourism strategy is a blueprint for sustainable growth and a reflection of Greece’s commitment to becoming a model for responsible, culture-centered tourism worldwide.