Greece growing as a tourism leader, overtourism not yet a threat, says PM

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday that the European Commission has, for the first time, assigned a tourism portfolio to a Greek commissioner.

Speaking at a Tourism Ministry event at the Acropolis Museum titled “Tourism is changing, Greece is taking the lead,” Mitsotakis cited strong 2025 growth, with arrivals up 4% and revenues up 9% compared with 2024, defying early-season pessimistic forecasts.

Mitsotakis stressed that tourism’s success is not automatic and called for vigilance amid strong international competition, emphasizing extended seasons, new destinations and innovative investments.

He highlighted infrastructure improvements, including island power interconnections, desalination plants, waste management upgrades and career-path development for tourism employees.

Addressing overcrowding, he noted, “It is true that we have congestion in certain destinations at certain times of year…a better management of flows is essential,” while stressing that Greece overall is far from overtourism.

He reiterated his goal of making Greece the world’s top tourism destination, citing forthcoming policy initiatives through 2035.