Olga Kefalogianni: Australia a key market of interest for Greece

Greece continues to support its presumption arsenic a harmless and reliable country, arsenic reflected successful the trust shown by millions of visitors each year, according to Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni successful an interrogation with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).

In the aforesaid interview, she highlighted Australia arsenic a marketplace of peculiar involvement for Greece’s tourism strategy.

As she noted, “this representation is built done changeless vigilance, seriousness and coordination,” adding that Greece remains successful ongoing interaction with planetary tourism stakeholders, promotes partnerships with airlines and tour operators, and works systematically to strengthen its planetary position.

According to Kefalogianni, Greece has demonstrated resilience and adaptability successful caller years successful the look of various crises. “The expertise we person gained allows us to respond to each challenging situation with greater readiness, cognition and maturity. This is why Greece remains a strong and harmless destination adjacent during periods of planetary uncertainty,” she said.

She besides painted a peculiarly affirmative representation for tourism successful 2026, pointing to a strong start to the year and a wide strategic absorption ahead. Early information shows a 58 per cent summation successful gross and a 33 per cent emergence successful arrivals successful January compared to the aforesaid period past year. February and March besides recorded further maturation successful inbound traffic astatine airports successful Athens, Thessaloniki and different destinations.

At the aforesaid time, signals from planetary markets stay encouraging. “We saw this astatine the large planetary tourism accumulation successful Berlin successful aboriginal March, adjacent arsenic the war had already begun. New formation connections and accrued involvement successful much Greek destinations amusement that Greece maintains strong momentum,” she said.

Within this framework, the Ministry’s strategy to grow target markets includes maintaining strong traditional markets while strengthening its beingness successful caller and emerging ones. “We spot peculiar accent connected North America (the US and Canada), arsenic well arsenic India, where nonstop aerial connections are creating caller opportunities. At the aforesaid time, markets such arsenic South Korea, Japan, Australia and the Middle East are besides of interest,” she noted.

A cardinal pillar of the Ministry’s strategy is to presumption Greece arsenic a multidimensional destination offering authentic, high-quality experiences year-round. The absorption is shifting beyond the traditional “sun and sea” exemplary towards a much holistic tourism individuality that leverages culture, nature, gastronomy and specialised forms of tourism.

Digital transformation is besides a cardinal tool successful this direction, including the modernisation of Greece’s online beingness and the improvement of targeted integer tools to beforehand specific tourism products.

Responding to questions astir geopolitical tensions, the curate acknowledged that such developments inevitably impact planetary tourism by expanding uncertainty. However, she stressed that they besides item the value of experience, reliability and preparedness.

“Greece today has a much mature, experienced tourism sector, amended equipped to respond to analyzable challenges. With accumulated acquisition from past crises, including the pandemic, and a wide strategy, we are capable to look developments with composure, seriousness and cautious optimism,” she said.

On aboriginal planning, Kefalogianni said Greece is prioritising high-value tourism sectors such arsenic yachting, diving, winter tourism, wellness and wellness, gastronomy and wine tourism. For the archetypal time, the state is besides promoting upland tourism done a dedicated run aimed astatine positioning mountainous regions arsenic year-round destinations.

Finally, she noted that the Special Spatial Plan for Tourism is successful its last stages and will σύντομα beryllium presented. The model aims to usher sustainable development, support investment, and guarantee resilience, clime adaptation and balanced maturation crossed regions, taking into relationship their unique geographical and taste characteristics.