F
or Greece, tourism is a national issue. It is
a sector with huge dynamism and inex-
haustible reserves that we are now called
to promote and utilize;
● a sector whose contribution to Greece’s GDP
and employment is decisive;
● a sector that is absolutely necessary for the
social cohesion and welfare of many areas of
the country, whose only livelihood is tourism.
This is the sector that we are planning to upgrade.
Utilizing the elements that established Greece as
a global tourist destination, we are currently intro-
ducing a series of measures that will help maxi-
mize the dynamism of Greek tourism; that will
improve the quality of the service offer and will
enrich the tourist product, also helping to extend
the tourist season. The aim is to maximize tourist
revenues and turn Greece into one of the world’s
tourism superpowers.
The national plan for the development of Greek
tourism is based on four key principles:
● enhancing entrepreneurship by facilitating
investment;
● developing a state-of-the-art institutional
framework for tourism and its special forms;
● safeguarding the quality of tourism infrastruc-
tures and services; and
● investing in Greece’s human resources.
We are also working on a tourism-specific com-
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Especially during this crucial period, when
the Greek economy is making a major turn,
leaving behind the inefficiencies and distor-
tions of the past that led to a deep crisis
with painful consequences for the citizens,
who were called to shoulder a huge burden
in order to save the country.
By Olga Kefalogianni, Minister of Tourism
The growth of tourism
is Greece’s only option
for boosting the
economy and ensuring
social cohesion
