- Olga Kefalogianni attended the EU Tourism Ministers’ meeting in Warsaw on June 24, 2025.
- She highlighted Greece’s full support for an integrated European strategy on sustainable tourism.
- She proposed making the Informal Tourism Ministers’ Council an official EU body with its budget.
- Many countries, including Italy, Spain, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Portugal, supported the proposal.
- Kefalogianni discussed Greece’s strategy for expanding tourism beyond its usual spots and seasons.
- She described new measures, such as a freeze on new short-term rentals in central Athens.
- An innovative hotel classification system has been launched, focusing on environmental performance.
- The Minister emphasized the pressing need for reliable tourism data and measurement tools.
- She outlined investments in training and upskilling tourism workers, supported by EU Recovery Funds.
- Infrastructure upgrades and digital tools, including visitgreece.gr and the new mAiGreece app, were highlighted.
- She stressed the importance of crisis management and rapid communication platforms for visitor safety.
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, supported Greece’s vision.
Reshaping Tourism Management and Community Benefits
During her address, Kefalogianni welcomed initiatives for a unified European approach to sustainable tourism. She rooted her support in the EU’s 2030 Tourism Agenda, aiming to boost Europe’s competitive edge and foster stronger tourist communities. She stated: “Greece proposes granting formal institutional power to the Informal Council of Tourism Ministers and supports a dedicated budget for the EU’s new sustainable tourism strategy.” Many member states, such as Italy, Spain, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Portugal, expressed their agreement.
A significant portion of her presentation focused on balancing tourism across regions and timeframes. She explained, “It is essential to guide visitor flows towards less developed areas that need investment and backing, especially during the off-season.” Greece has started to address these needs. Actions include freezing new short-term rentals in central Athens and introducing safety and operational requirements for short-term rental properties.
With sustainability in mind, Kefalogianni described Greece’s innovative hotel rating system, which adds environmental performance as a core metric. She called for better tools and consistent data to help destinations measure the impact of tourism, saying, “Supporting destinations as they track tourism’s footprint is a top priority for Greece.”
She also turned to workforce challenges facing the tourism sector. She outlined coordinated programs for training and reskilling workers, using funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. As she shared, “Greece invests in the education and upskilling of those working in tourism, with funded programs for employees and the long-term unemployed across the country.”
Digitalization, Infrastructure, and Crisis Management for Tourists
Upgrading infrastructure plays a key role in Greece’s modern tourism framework. The Minister outlined plans to update tourist ports, spa facilities, and ski resorts, as well as to create new diving attractions. She also spotlighted accessibility projects along the Greek coastline.
The digital transformation of tourism promotion remains a priority. Greece has enhanced the official visitgreece.gr portal and developed specialized platforms to showcase unique travel experiences across regional markets. Crisis management has also entered the spotlight. Kefalogianni shared that “a key tool used successfully in Greece last summer was a digital platform by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels for real-time hotel room availability during emergencies.”
A more recent development, the “mAiGreece” application, became available in June 2024. This AI-based app supports 31 languages, providing direct access to crisis information, location sharing, emergency service contact, and timely guidance for urgent needs and safety concerns.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Greece’s EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, attended the Council as well, voicing support for a Europe-wide sustainable tourism policy and the focus on balanced development across the continent.
